Ash tree removal in Madison PHOTO WRN
Emerald Ash Borer has now been confirmed across much of Wiscosnin, and that’s bad news for municipalities and private property owners alike. But there are things you can do to keep your ash trees alive and healthy.
Chris Williamson, an entimoligist at UW Madison and UW Extension, says if Emerald Ash Borer has been confirmed in your area, you should assume your trees are infested. “If its been detecteced in an area, the liklihood of it being in the ash trees in that respective area is much higher than if it were not.”
“Damage to a tree can kill a tree within one to three years,” said Williamson. “It depends on the health of the tree and when the initial infestation occured. There are a lot of variables at play.” The emerald ash borer has killed millions of trees in the US. It has slowly spread across Wisconsin since it turned up in Washington County in 2008.
There are treatments available, and Williamson notes that private property owners and municipalities have had good results. “There’s been some tremendous success in terms of saving these ash trees that have been treated.”