Emerald ash borer

[phatdonkey]

Might sound like a silly question, but is ash safe to burn with EAB signs in it?

I have a friend from work with a bunch of trees he has in the early stages of dieing. Not being an arbosist, i wasnt sure what species of trees they were. I got some home last spring and css all of it. The other day, as i was bringing in some of it, and the bark was seperating so i pulled it off and saw the EAB tracks under it, and a few dead larvae.

Do EABs only go for ash trees? If so, then i know its ash. Also, is the wood safe to burn. After i noticed them, i stripped the bark off of all of it, and crushed any of the larvae. There are no ash trees that i see in my neighborhood. Are there any other precautions i should take in order to keep them from infesting my area? The wood lot is about 25 miles from my area, and i know they can move about 1.5 miles from their hatching area.

 

[Wood Duck]

You can safely burn the wood. This goes for any bug infested wood. The problems with bugs are 1) you might be helping the spread of the bug by moving firewood and 2) the bugs might be a threat to your house (this applies only to a few types of termites), and 3) the bugs might get into your house and be annoying.

For 1 it is too late. The wood is already moved. You may or may not have moved Emerald Ash Borers farther than they have already spread, but the deed is done. For 2 - EAB infest only live ash trees, so they aren't a treat to the house or other tree species. Probably they are already in you neighborhood anyway. As for 3, EAB won't emerge from the wood and get into the house. That problem is for spiders and crawlies.

On a side note, I wrote that only termites are a threat to your house. Potentially Carpenter Ants are too, but they are probably already in your yard or nearby, so moving more to your yard won't make a difference.

 

[bholler]

Yeah i beleive eab in in all of pa now. I think they even lifted the ban on transporting ash now. It is a real shame to see all of those dead or dying trees. i have one in my yard i am treating hoping it will make it but i am not sure

 

[Pat32rf]

Now we are involved with a beach fungus. Still have some ash in my bush but will be burning a lot of beach next winter...

 

[phatdonkey]

Thanks for the responses. I was pretty sure it would be fine. It looks crazy under the bark....like a drunken maze!

Ill continue to burn it then. Thanks again.

 

[CincyBurner]

Might sound like a silly question, but is ash safe to burn with EAB signs in it?

These days in Ohio it seems that's the only kind of ash being removed - EAB infested. I've got about 3 cord of locally cut ash (already infested, and not moved into non-infested area). By the time I've CSS, and seasoned the ash, and bring it in to burn, the EAB infesting the wood has long ago completed its life cycle in my firewood and vacated the firewood.

 

[KpR]

It might have been Red Headed Ash Borer as well. They also make patterns under the bark, before heading into the sapwood. Aside from actually seeing the insects themselves, or comparing their larvae, a good way to tell is the exit (or entry?) holes that EAB makes. It is a very distinctive D shape that occurs in the bark. Really unmistakable.
Either way, happy burning!

 

[jtaves85mcss]

The following is based on my observations in my general environment and neighborhood. If the tree shows signs of major distress in year one, i.e., odd curling leaves, sparse or leaves on only one side of the crown, it is done and the trails under the bark are already well underway. Best thing to do is let the tree decline into year two and perhaps year three then drop it in quarter heights. Trees left longer than that will drop tops in higher winds and trees standing in bottoms or along creeks will drop the top third of the biggest trunks without much warning - widow makers. Trees that are three to four years in to EAB will show loose bark at the ground and stress (lean or twist) in the bottom three feet of the trunk.

EAB Ash trees in decline can be C/S/S and burned just like any non impacted trees. Don't move EAB wood from county to county unless it is chipped is the way to go in Ohio.

 

[hamslam42]

Don't move EAB wood from county to county unless it is chipped is the way to go in Ohio.

It is legal to transport ash throughout the state of Ohio now, since EAB is in all counties. Can't transport out of state, though. http://www.agri.ohio.gov/eab/eabresponse.aspx