On Monday and Tuesday earlier this week, Bartlett Tree Experts, a contractor for the Town of Wake Forest, treated ash street trees to prevent infestation of the emerald ash borer.
A majority of the work will focus on the Deacon’s Ridge subdivision, H.L. Miller Park, and the town hall campus. The treatment will involve air spading to remove soil around the trees’ root collars and the injection of pesticide into the tree trunk.
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is responsible for the death of millions of ash trees across the country. First detected in Michigan several years ago, the pest eventually spread to North Carolina threatening all species of ash including white, green, black, blue, Carolina and pumpkin. The half-inch-long insect kills ash trees of all sizes whether they are healthy or weak.
Town officials say they made the decision to contract with Bartlett Tree Experts to treat the ash trees after the EAB was detected in the Youngsville area of Franklin County and in the vicinity of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in June 2015. The accepted protocol is to begin treating ash trees when EAB has been detected within a 10-15-mile radius.
“It is important to begin treatment before symptoms appear,” said Urban Forestry Coordinator Jennifer Rall. “Otherwise, complete tree death can occur within two to five years.” The Town of Wake Forest has 96 ash trees on public rights of way. The largest population of ash street trees is in the Deacon’s Ridge Subdivision which has 55.
Of greater concern for the town’s tree population is the large number of ash trees located on private property, in open spaces within neighborhoods and forested areas. Homeowners that need help determining whether a tree on their property is an ash may visit www.ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/forest_health_eab.htm. The website gives complete information about the EAB infestation and how to tell if your tree is infected.
According to the N.C. Forest Service, signs and symptoms of EAB include D-shaped exit holes, meandering galleries, dieback and thinning crowns, epicormic sprouting, vertical bark splitting and increased woodpecker activity. To view examples of these signs, visit http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/eab/eab.pdf.
For more information, contact Jennifer Rall at jrall@wakeforestnc.gov or 919-435-9565.
