I finally saw the ash borer damage up close at a park in Dayton

Stopped by a small city park near Dayton last weekend and counted 12 dead ash trees in one corner, all with those D-shaped exit holes. The bark was peeling off in sheets like someone took a knife to it. Anyone else seeing this spread faster in your areas this year?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanellis15d ago

If you catch it early enough, you can treat healthy ash trees with a systemic insecticide every couple of years to keep the borers out. The key is getting it done before you see the thinning canopy or D-shaped holes, because by then the tree is usually a goner. Have you talked to the city about whether they're doing any preventative treatments or just planning removal?

xenagarcia15d ago

OH man, that’s SO rough to see in person. I remember walking through a woods in Ohio a couple years back and finding a whole row of ash trees just GONE, like someone flipped a switch. It’s crazy how fast these little beetles can wipe out a whole section of trees once they get going.