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| Emerald Ash Borer Larva |
Tree removal is a necessary practice for nearly all golf course
grounds departments. The reason for this is because trees are living
organisms that constantly change depending on age, climate, nutrient
availability, soil compaction, accidental wounds, and insect damage. For
example, one major issue we encounter in the Midwest is life
threatening insect damage on ash trees. This is caused by an insect
known as the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species that only feeds on
ash trees. Since its accidental introduction into the United States and
Canada in the 1990s, and its subsequent detection in 2002,
it has spread to 14 states
and adjacent parts of Canada. The Emerald Ash Borer has killed at least
50 to 100 million ash trees so far and threatens
to kill most of the 7.5 billion ash trees throughout North America.
Preventative insecticide applications can be effective, but these
applications are very expensive and they're not always successful. As a
result, tree loss is inevitable and once this occurs we must remove the
deceased trees to avoid safety hazards since dead trees often drop large
limbs unannounced.
You can read more about the Emerald Ash Borer at
www.emeraldashborer.info and we'd be happy to explain this subject in further detail at your convenience.
Thank you for visiting,
Midlothian Country Club Grounds Department
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| Emerald Ash Borer damage |
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| Deceased ash tree |
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| The insect enters through small holes in the bark |
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