The Ash destroying Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has found its way out of Boulder with confirmed sightings in Broomfield, Westminster, and now Berthoud. The quarantine was set up in 2013 in Boulder County after the EAB was found near the University of Colorado campus. The quarantine slowed the spread of the EAB to give cities time to plan for the eventual outbreak of the tree pest along the Front Range. City foresters have been culling weak trees, treating the trees they want to preserve, and replacing Ash trees with other species.

In 2016, Denver implemented an educational program called Be A Smart Ash to inform its citizens about the EAB. The stakes are high since the Denver Metro Area has about 1.5 million Ash trees. The trees grow throughout residential properties, public rights-of-way, and parks. The City expects Denver residents to take responsibility for any ash trees on their personal property and on adjacent public rights-of-way. Denver’s City Forester says one option homeowners should not consider is treating or replacing their ash tree themselves. They recommend contacting a licensed tree professional service company, like Ross Tree, to determine the best treatment, removal, and replacement options.

Experts debate on how the EAB got to Broomfield and Westminster, whether it naturally migrated or if human action is to blame. “The borer can fly about a half-mile each year,” said James Kadlubar, the Plant Health Care Manager at Ross Tree Company. “However, someone living in quarantine zone sharing infected Ash-tree firewood with someone outside of Boulder could be the culprit. We will never know how it got to Broomfield and Westminster.”

Kadlubar adds, “The EAB is here to stay. The EAB seems to spread no matter what state agriculture departments across the country try to do. This highly destructive pest has killed hundreds of millions of Ash trees east of the Mississippi.” Kadlubar says that homeowners first need to decide if their Ash trees are worth saving. Considering mature trees can account for up to 10% of a property’s value, he thinks that they are worth saving. “The logical decision is to cull any weakened Ash trees and try to save the rest,” Kadlubar says. For information about what each city is recommending, please use the links below.

Broomfield Forester’s EAB web page
Westminster Forester’s EAB web page

Tree Injection Specialist

Prevention is key against the EAB. Once a homeowner sees a borer like pictured above, it is probably too late to save the tree. The tree should be removed. But, hiring a licensed Colorado Department of Agriculture Commercial Pesticide Applicator, like Ross Tree Company, for EAB treatment can help save Ash trees. Ross Tree offers several effective treatment methods for controlling EAB. They are a licensed applicator with the State with three Qualified Supervisors on staff.

Ross Tree is a pioneer in the field of tree injections for tree pest control. Tree injections avoid the need for spraying, which is better for the environment. Qualified tree care personnel inject the treatment directly into the vascular system of the tree. This type of treatment can protect a tree for up to two years and is up to 95% effective against the EAB. For a free Emerald Ash Borer consultation, call 303-871-9121 or click here to fill out a service request form.