Should I start any defensve treatment for Emerald Ash Borer? - Ask Extension
I am a resident of Englewood Colorado concerned about a large Ash tree in my back yard. News stories have alerted us to the impending doom posed by...
Knowledgebase
Should I start any defensve treatment for Emerald Ash Borer? #398792
Asked May 09, 2017, 11:34 AM EDT
I am a resident of Englewood Colorado concerned about a large Ash tree in my back yard. News stories have alerted us to the impending doom posed by the Emerald Ash Borer. Should I start a treatment at this time to protect the tree or should I wait until there are reports of the pest in my area? If I should start a protective program for the tree is there an effective treatment a homeowner can apply? I have a Ross Root Feeder with a small reservoir for treatment pellets for systemic application that might be helpful.
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
While Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) will probably show up in Arapahoe County in the next couple of years, it has so far been limited to Boulder County (14 sites in Boulder and 1 in Longmont). Until EAB is found within 5-10 miles of Englewood, preventive treatments are not recommended. There is no environmental benefit to using a preventive insecticide for an insect that is not present in the area. Some of the EAB-preventive insecticides pose significant risk to pollinators, including a couple of the ones available to homeowners.
Suggest you follow the "progress" of EAB in CO at www.eabcolorado.com
