Information for woodlot owners
1. Do I have ash trees?:
Emerald ash borer (EAB) only attacks true ash (Fraxinus) trees. So, the first thing to do is determine whether or not the trees in your woodlot, yard or windbreak are ash trees. Mountain ash (Sorbus) is not a true ash so is not at risk.
2. I have ash trees in my woodlot, what should I do?:
If ash make up a very small proportion of your woodlot, you may not need to do anything. Otherwise, your woodlot will benefit from planning for the arrival of EAB. The best woodlot management approach will depend on how soon EAB is expected to arrive in the woodlot.
Images: Troy Kimoto, CFIA
3. What about the ash trees in my yard?:
If the ash trees in your yard are healthy there are insecticide treatment options available to help to protect them; without the treatment the tree will die and need to be removed.
There are some things to consider before making the decision to treat your ash tree. However, if you are close to, or within an EAB regulated area, decide soon, while you still have options - EAB moves quickly.
- Ash tree treatment for EAB
- Is my tree a good candidate for treatment?
- What are the costs of treating or removing my tree?
- How is the treatment applied?
- What should I know about treatment?
- What can I plant instead?
4. Windbreaks, shelterbelts and buffer zones:
If there is a large component of ash in your shelterbelt, windbreak or riparian buffer, its function will be impaired when trees are lost to EAB. Plan to mitigate the loss of ash in these important forests.
5. About emerald ash borer:
Want to know more about the beetle threatening your trees? Emerald ash borer arrived accidentally in Canada in solid wood packaging material. Since it was first detected in 2002 near Windsor Ontario, it has spread quickly and is now killing ash in many areas of southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec.
- What trees are at risk, and what is the impact?
- Where is it from and how did it get here?
- Why is it such a big problem here in North America?
- Emerald ash borer identification and biology
- How do I know if a tree is infested with EAB?
- What is being done about EAB?
6. Learn more:
There are a number of helpful resources to help you learn more about EAB, including:
- The CFIA is a good source for learning about the current distribution and regulation of EAB in Canada.
- An overview of EAB as well as some Canadian research on EAB is available through Canadian Forest Service.
- Information about various aspects of EAB can be found at EAB info. Please note - insecticide options described in this U.S. website are not available in Canada.
