EAB strategy

[SolarAndWood]

How have you guys with land in the midwest dealt with EAB? Looks like it is here in earnest. Is it inevitable that every last Ash gets consumed? Should I have every one of the big mature trees removed this year before they are only good for firewood?

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

All our big Ash went a couple years ago. Small ones are pretty darn sick.

The roots only hold the trees up for 18-24 months around here after they die. It's very dangerous in the woods if there is any wind. We had about 40-60% Ash around here.


If I had it to do over again I would drop all the large trees without regard for damage to smaller trees and seel the saw logs, or have a band mill come in to cut them for lumber.

The Ash are wonderful while they last. I'll have 90% of them down by this time next year.

The gov't response seems to have accomplished nothing at all. The money might have been better spent on replanting of othe native trees.
_________________________________________________
Edited to add...

The correct response is to be sure you have the appropriate tools ready. As large a saw as you like for bucking, and a way to haul a lot of wood. It doesn't take that much effort to get several years ahead with the EAB in your area. I found that the larger 64cc saw was a good improvement, but it will get the 79cc cyl before long. A good fast saw and a good truck or trailer; that's my recomendation.

 

[oldspark]

How have you guys with land in the midwest dealt with EAB? Looks like it is here in earnest. Is it inevitable that every last Ash gets consumed? Should I have every one of the big mature trees removed this year before they are only good for firewood?

Doesn't seem to be in NW Iowa yet and some how I hope it avoids us, can't imagine losing my ash trees as I have a bunch on my place.

 

[JustWood]

Yep sell all of them. Ash market is the best it's ever been right now anyway.

 

[thewoodlands]

Solar this is one article that I found on treatment if you decide on that.

(broken link removed to http://www.emeraldashborer.info/treatment.cfm)



Zap

 

[rdust]

Solar this is one article that I found on treatment if you decide on that.

(broken link removed to http://www.emeraldashborer.info/treatment.cfm)



Zap

Problem is treatment is expensive when it's for a bunch of tree's. If you want to save one that's a shade tree in a small yard it's doable, if you have a woods full you don't have much of a chance. My SIL has a big one in her yard and they have it treated every two years with injections, so far it's working good for them.

 

[smokinj]

Bauer has a new product out where you feed the roots and they take up the insecticide this just may work for the home owner.

 

[rdust]

Bauer has a new product out where you feed the roots and they take up the insecticide this just may work for the home owner.

This one? http://www.bayeradvanced.com/tree-s...h-tree-shrub-insect-control-landscape-formula

Still probably not very effective for a woods full of them.

 

[smokinj]

Bauer has a new product out where you feed the roots and they take up the insecticide this just may work for the home owner.

This one? http://www.bayeradvanced.com/tree-s...h-tree-shrub-insect-control-landscape-formula

Still probably not very effective for a woods full of them.

no not for the wood, but a game changer for the home owner. I have 7, 5-6 have to 6 year old ash and 6 new ones on the way I hope to get them past the infestion peroid so this seem like the way to go for me.

 

[mdfer]

Check out Arborjet for a solution.
Where their product, Tree-age, is not really designed
for a woods full of ash, you can treat trees that provide
shade or other benefits around your property. It's a direct
injection product, and is effective for 3 years...cost is minimal
and worth it in my opinion if the ash is close to or around the house.
My neighbors and I feel pretty strongly about treating our trees on the
tree lawn all 37 of them and we are giving it a shot this year.

 

[andybaker]

Just like mdfer picture above is what many of our streets looked like. The Ash were planted after DED took out the Elm. A lot of other streets are lined with Silver Maple, I won't talk about that though, I hate that wood. I've gotten so much wood from streets like this, just imagine what it would look like if every one was taken out. Literally 10's of thousands have come down with most still waiting. I bet in 5 years you could replant Ash and it would be ok because this bug has taken out every single one of them, no exceptions. In 5 years the bugs will be no where near here because there's nothing for them left to eat. I have heard of treatments and they work well. The governments attempt to stop it worked about as well as everything else they try, inept. To all those out there where this thing is headed, get educated on it and figure out what you want to do and get started ahead of time. Infestation begins long before you'll see it. Treatments will need to be done early. Good luck out there, us here, we lost.

 

[benjamin]

[/quote] Doesn't seem to be in NW Iowa yet and some how I hope it avoids us, can't imagine losing my ash trees as I have a bunch on my place.[/quote]

They're in Victory WI. They have traps up on many of the back roads around here and we'll see by fall how much closer they are to you. FIL is a retired forester and while he promotes the containment strategies, he also readily admits it's only buying time.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Every time I go to the woods here I either get sick looking at all the dead trees or get really ticked off. Neither seems to help though. I'll just keep on cutting more firewood; ash of course.

 

[SolarAndWood]

It is 60 acres of mature mostly hardwood forest surrounded by more hardwood forest on all sides, so treatment isn't really an option. Sounds like getting on my loggers schedule is the best move. And I hear you Dennis, it made me sick to see how fast they are going. If I don't do it this winter, they all will likely be good for nothing more than firewood. Not that firewood is a bad thing.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We did make some lumber from a few ash and could have sold some logs too but I just did not want to tear up our woods any more with the big skidders. We already have a big area that was torn up and hate it, so the rest of the ash goes for firewood where I can get in with 4' wide paths.

 

[Uper]

There is a product with the common name of Safari that is now registered for ash borer. It is taken up by the roots OR the trunk. Apparently it has some unique quality that allows it to be absorbed through the bark. I don't have time to look up further links to it, but I think the folks at Purdue were doing some of the research on it. Check their sites. I'm not sure of the cost on this product either.
Also it is in Iowa now, but up in the extreme NE section - Allamakee County. There doesn't seem to be a heavy ash population in the NW corner of the state. But, I suppose that's not very comforting if you are sitting on some property were it does exist. Barring firewood or nursery stock movement, it should take a while to get there, but if the past is any indication, all bets are off!

 

[SolarAndWood]

In the last year, the quarantine went from a few counties in the west to most of Western NY. It would seem it is only a matter of time now.

(broken link removed to http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/eabmapq2010.pdf)

Does anyone know why the experts don't recommend complete liquidation of the ash but instead recommending getting the value out of the current stand before quarantines? The reference is about 2/3 of the way down this page.

(broken link removed to http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/46279.html)

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That has been tried and found to not work. When the EAB came in here they were doing lots and lots of cutting to try to stop them. It just did not work and was also very costly to do. They finally woke up and found that they were wasting their time and dollars.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I am pretty confident they are not going to stop it and it is going to do to us what it did to you guys in the midwest. What I don't get is why they would not recommend compelete liquidation from a private landowner's woodlot? Seems that it should be turned into lumber and firewood before it becomes a breeding ground for the little monsters. Just not sure why they would not recommend complete liquidation? I have seen this in a number of places and not sure if they are all just regurgitating something one expert said once or if there is some science and business behind it.

 

[FLINT]

EAB, one of the benefits of our global economy

 

[Uper]

I think the article is saying to get the ash out. In the younger plantings it says to thin them out which may sound confusing, but I take it to mean thin ALL the ash out and leave the other species of trees. In the older trees, take the ash out and create more room for the other varieties of value, but don't be tempted to remove the varieties of value before their time just because you are in there taking the ash out. Any ash left would be a potential source of life for EAB, although they tend to go to the most easily accessible food source (don't we all). So, flying into the deep woods versus to a tree on the edge of a powerline isn't likely to happen as quickly.

 

[andybaker]

I can tell you from down here in North West Ohio, this thing will kill them all. I have a hard time finding any survivors. I would think in about 10 years they could start planting the Ash again because all the bugs will be gone. Just a thought.

 

[SolarAndWood]

That has been tried and found to not work. When the EAB came in here they were doing lots and lots of cutting to try to stop them.

I have accepted that the devastation will be complete and there is no stopping or managing it on this individual property. You guys in the midwest have made that pretty clear. In fact, the only reason I really am paying attention to it is what you guys have experienced and shared here. My goal is to maximize the value of what is there before a quarantine keeps me from doing so and the little monsters leave me with nothing more than firewood material.

 

[SolarAndWood]

EAB, one of the benefits of our global economy

Yeah, it is what it is...

 

[SolarAndWood]

In the older trees, take the ash out and create more room for the other varieties of value, but don't be tempted to remove the varieties of value before their time just because you are in there taking the ash out. Any ash left would be a potential source of life for EAB, although they tend to go to the most easily accessible food source (don't we all). So, flying into the deep woods versus to a tree on the edge of a powerline isn't likely to happen as quickly.

This is all diverse mature forest. My inclination is to take all the ash down to 6". Then, hope that by the time the little guys grow that the EAB are gone. One thought is to leave a seed tree per acre but my gut says that is just wishful thinking.