NEW POLICY ON CITY ASH TREES - SPRING 2013

Important new information regarding ash trees in the city right-of-way:

As of Spring 2013, the City of Columbus has begun cutting down all ash trees in the city right-of-way ("tree lawn", "devil's strip")*.  The damage, or impending damage, due to the Emerald Ash Borer is so extensive that at this point the removal of these trees, removal of the stumps, and replacement of the trees is more cost effective than potential damage to person or property.  The Emerald Ash Borer situation is a tragic one, but is an example of how invasive species (Emerald Ash Borer) can cause damage to native species (Ash).

Please do not despair completely.  Rally with your neighbors.  The information in this blog still applies to healthy ash trees on private property.  The white ash and purple ash in Clintonville does not have to be eradicated because the city takes down street trees.  If you have an ash you think might be sick have an arborist look at it and have it treated.  If it looks healthy, follow the directions in this blog.

If you have had an arborist treat your tree or have been treating your tree yourself, please contact the City Forester's office at (614) 645-6648.

The arborist I recommend is Ahlum and Arbor, they are first in "Links."

*Wholesale cutting does NOT apply to East North Broadway and Oakland Park because those streets have been treating their ash trees for three years and the trees have the chemicals throughout their system.

How Can My Neighborhood Treat Our Ash Trees?

INTRODUCTION

At the time of this writing the entire state of Ohio is quarantined regarding the Emerald Ash Borer.  That means that every county has an infestation.  Does that mean that every ash tree will die?  No!  According to research about 5% of the trees have a natural immunity.  Research has also shown that if a tree shows less than 50% loss of crown it can still be saved.  That means healthy trees that are treated have a good very chance of survival if treated annually.  The ideal treatment window is April 15-May 15.

PREPARATION

1.  Identify the ash trees in the city tree lawn, and note the addresses in front of which they are.  At this point you will also have to measure the trees.  You can either eyeball diameter at chest level with a ruler or use a measuring tape to get circumference and calculate diameter.
2. Contact the City Forester 645-6648 and tell him your specific plans.  They will need to know the process you will use (soil drench) and the chemical (imidacloprid, brand name Dominion 2L). Request a Tree Maintenance Permit.  This is free, it's a form that will be on file and you will have a copy of that gives you permission to care for city trees.
3. Using the information gathered in Step 1, calculate how much chemical you will need.  The rate is 0.2 fl oz per inch diameter of tree.  Note that number for each tree and use the total to calculate how many bottles you need in total.  The recommended chemical can be ordered online here.  This is where it becomes apparent why working as a neighborhood is important.  The more you buy, the cheaper it is per bottle.
4. Make up a flyer that will advise homeowners of your plans.  Give them the option to opt-out of the treatment either because they don't want their tree treated or because they are already treating their own trees.  We also asked permission to use an outdoor water source at the house and asked anyone who didn't want to allow that to contact us.  About two weeks prior to treatment, pass out the flyer to homeowners who have a tree.
5. Gather volunteers.  It takes two volunteers about 45 minutes to treat about 15 trees.


TREATMENT DAY

Materials needed: Chemical, five-gallon buckets, large stir sticks (Lowes gave me some for free), plastic cups labeled with ounce marks, list of addresses with ash trees and dosage.

Process: Check list for dosage.  It is important to shake the chemical bottle well prior to each time you measure.  Using plastic cup, measure out dosage and put in bucket.  Fill bucket about half full with water and stir.  About two feet from the tree pour mixture slowly in a circle all the way around the tree.  You want as much to soak into the ground as possible.  If there is mulch or leaf debris around the tree, remove that prior to pouring and replace it after.

Pets and Honeybees

Please note that like most insecticides, Imidacloprid is toxic to pets.  We recommend that prior notice of this be given to homeowners, as mentioned in the Example of Flyer to Neighbors.  In addition, we recommend signage be placed on the treated tree as warning to pet owners until there is a heavy rain, or the tree has been watered thoroughly.

In addition, Imidacloprid is not selective, and kills all insects.  In order to protect honeybees, we recommend that all flowers under and around the treatment area be removed prior to treatment.

Identifying An Ash

There are several different types of ash trees in Clintonville, but they are all unique in that the leaves are comprised of an odd number of leaflets.  Click here for a detailed tutorial on how to identify an ash tree.

Treatment Cost Analysis

Treatment Options for Emerald Ash Borer

 All treatment options utilize the treatment chemical Imidacloprid

• Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control can be purchased at any garden store and contains 2.94% Imidacloprid
• Dominion 2L can be purchased online and contains 21.4% Imidacloprid

Tree Size (Diameter)	Cost For Injection Treatment Per Tree (Professional only)	Cost for Bayer Product Soil Drench Per Tree	Cost for Dominion 2L Product Soil Drench Per Tree (min 25 trees)
Small (5 to 8 inches)	$30	$6.00	$2.00
Medium (9 to 13 inches)	$50	$11.00	$4.00
Large (14 to 20 inches)	$80	$17.00	$6.00

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.