Over ten years have passed since emerald ash borer (EAB) was discovered in St. Paul in 2009. Almost a quarter of Minnesota’s counties have infestations, and all will eventually be infested. With about 16 million ash trees in Stearns County alone it poses a serious threat to our community and rural forests across the county. Infestation in these rural forests bears a significant climate risk and will likely have long-term environmental effects. Be proactive when managing the ash trees in your yard. Ash trees can be treated with an insecticide to prevent emerald ash borer infestation. To be effective, treatments must be repeated every two years for the entire life of the tree. If treated preventatively, it is 98% effective. If not treated, infected ash trees will die. Waiting to remove your tree once it has become heavily infested or dead will be more expensive because brittle ash trees are dangerous to cut down. Most times treating a mature ash tree over the span of 20+ years is cheaper than the cost of removing a dead ash tree.
