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justins7
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# Posted: 4 Jun 2018 21:26
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I have a cabin on four wooded acres in the Catskills, in NY. I just had a professional tree consultation and learned that about 20-25% of the area are ash trees — and they're doomed to die from the emeral ash borer, a nasty, invasive species of beetle. It's a looming menace. In 10-15 years each ash tree will be dead, a sad and pathetic fact, considering that they are extremely tall and beautiful and important features of the landscape.
They said there is a pesticide injection service they can provide, but it's expensive. I then discovered online that you can buy pesticide that can be "watered" into the roots for a lot cheaper. However, these are not legal to buy in NY State due to the risk to bees and the water table, presumably.
Has anyone dealt with this problem? Have you applied the pesticides yourself? I wonder about the risks to the insects in the area, throwing off the balance of my little patch of now-healthy forest.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 4 Jun 2018 22:38
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Tough deal. I am dealing with the western bark beetle now. So far, only small clumps of stressed trees have been hit. I did lose one large tree. Been lucky.
Not familiar with ash trees, a healthy pine will eject pitch and trap the beetles. So the ash trees have a defensive deal or are they setting ducks?
I signed a contracted with DNR (states dept of natural resources) to do a full thinning on my front 20 acres, so I am going to lose lots of trees, what they remove, they grind up and scatter. This will make the remained very health, but resistant and fire resistant. Those left behind get all branches cut to the 8 foot high mark on the trunk.
OK, I am looking into it now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLEVxteP7OQ
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 4 Jun 2018 23:02
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I don't think there is one ash tree left in Ottawa, Ontario. Didn't take long for the beetle to do it's damage.
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Ontario lakeside
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# Posted: 4 Jun 2018 23:42
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Our ash trees went from healthy to totally dead in two years. Our city council has saved a few with twice a year injections, about $700 per tree and only about 10% of the treated trees survive. It is a terrible problem with no real solution.
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old243
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 09:19
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I purchased a water in treatment, for my ash trees, 2 years ago. From do your own pest control. online I think they are in Georgia. not positive. My son in law brought it to me .in Ontario. Not sure if ag Canada permits this. Watered it in, in the spring. My trees are around yard, and not much over 8 inches in diameter. So far so good. You measure the diameter of tree and use so many oz per inch. May have to repeat, A farmer with a spray licence may also get you some. old243
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justins7
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 09:26
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According to the reviews online (for the insecticides) people are actually having a lot of success saving some trees. There are many dramatic photos of a healthy ash tree (treated) next to wilted dead ones (untreated). But they have to do it every year or twice a year, and deal with the impact of the insecticide. So I am not sure if the trade off is worth it.
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buckybuck
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 12:49
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If the pesticide you mentioned "watering in" the roots is Ortho Max Tree and Shrub Insect Treatment, that's what I've been using on an ash tree in our back yard for the past four years. The tree was already infected when I tried the treatment as a last-ditch effort before cutting the tree. You can't prove a negative, but for what it's worth, the tree is still alive and its remaining limbs are lush with leaves.
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justins7
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 14:09
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The brand I saw was Bayer Advanced.
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creeky
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 14:28
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I cut my trees down. Ash makes great boards. It stays very flat. Looks like oak. And even green makes great firewood. Burns very clean.
This is a  moment for biodiversity.
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snobdds
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 14:41
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Mother Nature is going to do her thing. About 10 years ago the bark beetle came through my land. It took out hundreds of pine trees. The State of Wyoming provided a grant to landowners to incentivize them to get rid of the trees. By way of the grant, I purchased a couple of large Stihl chainsaws, a towable chipper and lots of other equipment to deal with the aftermath. I just started around my cabin and worked out from there. I am 10 years out and have completed about 10 acres. It is a daunting task and one that may never be complete, but the results are dramatic. The forest was way overgrown and the beetle in an ironic way, did the forest good. The areas that I thinned and removed are so incredibly healthy now. Mother nature is doing the same in other parts of the forest, but it's just taking longer.
Just take the situation in stride and start removing the trees closest to the cabin and work out. Then replant as you go. In 10 years you will be amazed.
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 17:27
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Ours in SE Ohio were killed off in two seasons. Gonna leave some holes in the canopy.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 20:05 - Edited by: ICC
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Not familiar with ash trees, a healthy pine will eject pitch and trap the beetles. So the ash trees have a defensive deal or are they setting ducks?
The difference between the pine beetles and the ash borer is that the pine beetle is native to the west of the USA while the ash borer was an accidental import from Asia. For some reason it has proved deadly to north american ashes while back home in Asia it is less deadly.
I don't think there is much that can be done to guarantee long-term tree survival.
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old243
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 20:17
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My ash trees are some that I transplanted , from the bush . They are my main trees around the house . Otherwise . I would not get too excited. I have been getting some oak, maple, mountain ash, poplar ,pine and cedar, new trees started. If I can't save the ash the others will take their place. old243
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 20:26
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Quoting: justins7 The brand I saw was Bayer Advanced.
https://www.bayeradvanced.com/articles/emerald-ash-borer-solutions
And you can get it from Amazon too.
https://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Advanced-Landscape-Concentrate-1-Gallon/dp/B007W7VLZM/re f=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1528244465&sr=8-2&keywords=bayer+tree+insect+control
Spendy, a few trees, managable, but an entire forest, take creekys idea, boards and firewood.
Crying shame about this invasive species, came in from asia from imported woodproducts. Started in Detriot area in about 2002 was the info I was gathering.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 20:27
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Quoting: old243 My ash trees are some that I transplanted , from the bush . They are my main trees around the house . Otherwise . I would not get too excited. I have been getting some oak, maple, mountain ash, poplar ,pine and cedar, new trees started. If I can't save the ash the others will take their place. old243
Old 243, the emerald ash borer doesnt go after the mountain ash!
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 20:30
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Quoting: snobdds Just take the situation in stride and start removing the trees closest to the cabin and work out. Then replant as you go. In 10 years you will be amazed.
Good advice, get them before they are dead. A dead tree is dangerous to work with, safety hazard, best to do it while its still green. You will know when the tree has been attacked, it will start losing its leaves at the top of the crown. As soon as you see this, bust out the chainsaws.
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old243
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 22:27
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I looked online. I dealt with do yourself pest control 1800 476 3368 Located in Georgia . Product contains 1.47% imidacloprid, use as a soil drench 44.50 us gallon . free shipping. Not sure about coming into Canada. I had 4 gallons to do my trees. old243
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Mike 870
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# Posted: 6 Jun 2018 08:31 - Edited by: Mike 870
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Ours in Ohio are pretty much all dead, hopefully they don't go the way of the American Chestnut. We've been woodworking with Ash, and in fact I made the rafters of my cabin from Ash since it was in such abundance and extremely cheap.
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