Now that EAB has arrived in Decorah, what are your options?

Friday's news that an Emerald Ash Borer infestation had been spotted in Decorah means property owners now need to figure out how they will respond.

Decorah City Forester Drew Stevenson says there are three different ways a property owner can try to save an ash tree.  The first involves drenching the soil around the tree with water that has had chemicals added to it.  The second involves using the bark of the tree to carry the chemicals throughout the tree.  The third involves making microinjections into the root system of the tree.

Stevenson says the three different methods rely on the same science--the tree stores the chemicals in its vascular system.  When the ash borers lay eggs in the tree, the larvae feed on the vascular system, consume the chemicals and die.  Any larvae that grow to adults would also be killed if they ate the leaves of the tree after it budded.

When deciding whether the pay for a treatment, the property owners should taking into consideration the health and vigor of the tree.  Healthy ash trees, of course, are better able to resist insect infestations.

Stevenson says the impact of Emerald Ash Borer could be minor in the next few years, but could become much more noticeable in five or six years.  He says the ash tree problems are one more reminder that the best way for trees to survive in a city is for there to be a wide diversity in the types of trees planted.