The emerald ash borer (EAB) is hitting the area, and a local arborist says now is the time to treat trees.
Greg Wilson, an arborist with Davey Tree in Brentwood, says campers moving firewood — lots of it ash wood that carries the beetle — is one way the tree disease spreads. Adult beetles also fly from tree to tree. The states have quarantined moving firewood but policing it is impossible, Wilson said.
He said a wave of beetles is coming. The question is, how many years will trees need to be treated to protect them until the beetle is gone? They don’t know the exact answer. He said studies have shown they should be gone in 15 years.
Wilson said Lake St. Louis is riddled with EAB and it’s been found in North County. By the time they find the damage it’s been there six to eight years. He said if you have an ash tree and you’re not treating it, you need to if you want to save it.
