Knowledgebase
Borer in Ash Tree #870443
Asked May 28, 2024, 2:18 PM EDT
A couple of years ago John Murgel came out to look at our Pinion Trees. Tried to email him but the emailed failed. In any case, today I noticed the wings of a borer in my ash tree - I have 7 trees and only noticed the borers in one tree. Not sure if it's an Emeral Ash Borer or not. I do treat the trees in early April with BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Protect and Feed. Looks like this may not be enough. Hoping you can advise on how to deal with these creatures. Either as a homeowner or a company that you recommend.
Douglas County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi James,
I'm sorry to hear about your trees and that you had trouble emailing me!
(John<personal data hidden> should get to me, or you can call the office at<personal data hidden>).
From what I can see in your photo, you have lilac-ash borer, a North American native insect that attacks trees that are stressed for some reason. Newly planted trees are a common target, as are trees under drought stress. This Extension fact sheet provides a good overview of their life cycle and control options:
https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05614.pdf
The recommended chemical control options are trunk sprays during egg laying and egg hatch, which is coming to a close now. Systemic products do not work well against Lilac ash borer, partly because of the part of the tree they infest and partly because the typical active ingredient, imidacloprid, is not particularly effective against them.
I hope this is helpful!
Cordially,
John
On 05/28/2024 12:52 PM MDT Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
