Welcome, neighbors. In 2011 it occurred to me, as I heard more and more about the Emerald Ash Borer making its way closer and closer to Columbus that we have 43 large ash trees on our street. It quickly became apparent that if someone didn’t do something about it, we might lose the trees. I spoke to arborists, etymologists at Ohio State, a botanist, a micro-biologist and several other scientists. I finally got into contact with the gentleman who headed up the Emerald Ash Borer task force in Ohio. Incredibly, through all my research, I learned that although there are many invasive and costly treatments out there that require special certification to perform, studies showed that a soil drench treatment, that can be performed by homeowners, shows just as much efficacy against the EAB as the other treatments. I am happy to report that our efforts have been effective and our trees are healthy two years later.

I think we have created a streamlined and cost-effective process that anyone can execute, and I would love to share the process with other residents. The cost ends up being about $2-4 per tree, but the key is to mobilize, because the cost-effectiveness only comes into play if 25-50 trees are treated (and the chemical is bought in bulk).

Please do not hesitate to email me at cmcolucy@hotmail.com if you are interested in organizing a group. I have dealt primarily with trees in the city right-of-way, but I strongly encourage residents to treat their yard ashes at the same time. Any ash tree left untreated has a death sentence. The clock is ticking, folks. Our trees are part of what makes Clintonville Clintonville, and we are the stewards of our trees.

Cindy Colucy
5-25-2012

Friday, May 25, 2012

Example of Flyer to Neighbors


You are receiving this notice because you have an ash tree in the tree lawn in front of your house (between the sidewalk and the street). On April 21, 2012 a group of volunteers will be treating these ash trees in the in hopes of preventing an infestation of the destructive Emerald Ash Borer and a catastrophic loss of trees.  We would ask that you keep pets away from the trees on that day.  In addition, we would like permission on that day to use your home’s outdoor water source to dilute the treatment chemical.  If you would prefer NOT to grant permission, would NOT like to have your tree(s) treated, are self-treating, would like to volunteer, or have any questions, please email Jane Doe at janedoe@trees.com.  Thank you for your support.
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1 comment:

  1. UnknownSeptember 30, 2015 at 11:27 PM

    HI there,

    I'm a landowner in central Kentucky, and we have LOTS of ash in our woodlands. Although we have been heavily impacted by EAB, I have noticed a very curious thing...and I feel compelled to share it with anyone who cares about the future of ash trees in America. Following is a synopsis:

    --Our ash trees started showing signs of EAB infestation 4 years ago (2011).

    --By last Spring (2014), ALL ash trees over 2" diameter on our 216 acre, mostly wooded property were affected (most were dead by this time, but a few did leaf out somewhat in the Spring of 2014), EXCEPT 9 trees relatively close to our house.

    --By this Spring (2015), ALL ash trees over 2" diameter on our property were dead, EXCEPT those trees around our house. They are still in fine condition.

    --Every tree around our house that has shown "resistance" to EAB has received light exterior "mechanical damage" from our cats using them as scratching posts.
    The "coincidence" just seems to scream that there is a connection. I know that some plants/trees etc. produce chemical defenses in response to external damage...and I think it very likely that perhaps this is exactly what is happening here: That the trees with damaged bark are exuding some chemical that wards off EAB infestaion. . I am happy to send pictures if desired.

    I have alerted the state of KY division of forestry about this as well. I very much encourage you to pass this info along, to other states if appropriate, and hopefully someone in areas of the country where EAB is just starting to arrive (or has not arrived yet) can do some tests with "light mechanical damage" to unaffected trees, and see if it is successful in repelling EAB. It would be awesome if a cheap preventative like this actually worked on a larger scale. It sure seems to be working here...

    Best regards,

    Joel Dufour
    Frankfort, KY

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