Emerald Ash Borer Beetle control, pictures NF,

[chris.brock]

Took the dog for a walk today, into some trails in a wooded area we often go. The city of Oakville harvested the ash trees recently. I was surprised at the results.

 

I talked to a botanist who was there. She said they don't expect to get rid of the beetle and may not even slow it's progress, but the work was mainly for the safety of people using the area, so branches/ trees don't fall on them.

 

It looked like a giant clearcut. Even the trees far back from the trails were taken. The cross section of the cut trees looked fine, no rot or weak spots.

 

Seems like a big waste of tax dollars and effort to me.

 

 

 

 

 

On alot of these issues, I think money is often better spent preserving something, rather than trying to rehab something already messed up.

[Gerritt]

Thats a lot of baseball bats...

a shame, i am surprised the residents were not up in arms..

 

G

[kemper]

I did some work with a start-up who was trying to enter the market with a control product...last I heard they were working on getting emergency license to operate within Canada.

 

Its a long a gruelling process to get pesticides approved here, even if they are bio based

[Headhunter]

Can't say I'm surprised... my street is lined, both side with Ash trees. They have (the city) begun cutting infected trees as of last fall.

I spoke with the guys doing the cutting and asked then what to look for. He showed me trees that from a quick glance, looked completely healthy. Then he pointed out the dis-coloured bark, usually upo near the top of the trees. These critters are going to decimate our forrests and it appears that there is nothing we can do to stop them.

Yet another invasive species blight.

Another that has taken hold locally, is a climbing vine that spreads like a porn star. The vine will choke out trees, leaving them stuggling for survival. I take it upon myself to cut them in my ravine and will do so again this spring. The leaves on the vine look similar to maple leaves...

HH

[adempsey]

Went through my whole neighborhood last year. No ash trees remain. They replaced them all though.

[capt bruce]

I guess Im older than you guys but back in the 50's and 60's I grew up in east end To , all the streets and parks were lined with giant elm trees , during Huracain Hazel (ya I was there , no don vally parkway , lots of houses in the valley , I was born in one) I remember we hid in the basement and a huge elm in the backyard fell (with our tree house)and took out most of our second floor . Dutch Elm Diease that we were warned about had arrived ,we all could see the trees were sick but when the winds came that year ,THEY WERE GONE. Now the ash treees that replaced them will be gone . When will we learn ????? . An urbin forest can be had but , we need to help it ?????

Edited February 6, 2013 by capt bruce

[OhioFisherman]

I planted like 10 or 12 Ash trees around 12 or 13 years ago in my back yard along the property line, they are all dying, as are the ones that are much older that separate my property from the railroad tracks.

 

If you look closely at them you can see the holes bored in the tree, as the limbs start dying they become brittle and fall easily in windy weather. Better to have them taken down than to risk them falling down on people or pets? I take mine down as they show signs of problems.

 

Another foreign import we could have done without? If it is cost prohibitive to treat the ones in your yard yearly? Do you want tax dollars doing the same?

[Rod Caster]

They cut the branches to avoid them from falling on people??? hahaha, next they'll be moving all the stones so Oakvillers don't trip on them. Wouldn't giving everyone a helmet be cheaper?

[captpierre]

I understand that all of Ontario's Ash trees will succumb to this pest eventually

 

I know a guy that became an arbourist because of this. Lots of work.

 

20% of Toronto's trees are Ash.

 

Will be devistating

[John Bacon]

The US has introduced a species of wasp that preys on them. Hopefully that will restore some balance so we don't lose the whole species.

 

I do have a few ash trees near my property. Luckily I have a good variety of species so I won't lose too many trees.