Emerald Ash Borer – Much anticipated and now confirmed this highly destructive insect has made it to Kansas City!
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an exotic insect native to Asia that has infested at least 12 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. This metallic wood boring beetle was found in Detroit, Michigan and Ontario, Canada in 2002, and has continued to spread into neighboring states and eventually across the U.S. and Canada. The adult is a small, metallic green beetle only 10-15 mm in length and about 3 mm in width. The larvae live under the bark of the tree and feed in the vascular cambium. The adults typically emerge around June, leaving D-shaped exit holes in the bark. This ash tree insect briefly feeds in the canopy before reproducing and laying eggs in the twigs and branches.
Infestations of the EAB were confirmed in Missouri in 2009 and the Kansas City area in July 2012.. While we do not necessarily have a confirmed sightings throughout the metro there is  an immediate threat of infestation. In order to prevent your Ash tree from becoming infested, we recommend a preventative stem or soil injection, depending on the size of your tree. Trees less than 6â in diameter may be treated annually with systemic insecticide injected into the soil. Trees greater than 6â in diameter may be treated every two years with an insecticide injected directly into the trunk of your tree. This Emerald Ash Borer Treatment combined with solid general tree care practices from K.C. Arborists Tree Care Specialists. Pruning, watering, and mulching will minimize risk of your ash tree becoming infested.
Give KC Arborist a call today for your Emerald Ash Borer questions at (913) 390-0033 or (816) 965-0539.
