Shade Tree Commission
Members
Important Information about the Emerald Ash Borer for Owners of Ash Trees
The emerald ash borer is an insect which kills ash trees and white fringe trees. This pest has already killed millions of ash trees. It is expected to kill hundreds of millions more as it spreads through North America.
The emerald ash borer was found in Bergen County in 2015. It is only a matter of time before it reaches Englewood Cliffs.
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The emerald ash borer infests the top of tree first.
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Death of the top of the tree is usually the first visible sign that an ash tree is infested.
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Affected ash trees die within three to four years of infestation.
Property owners should identify all ash trees and white fringe trees on their property so they can monitor those trees for signs of emerald ash borer infestation. Fall is an excellent time to identify ash trees because ash trees’ distinctive seeds appear in the fall before the leaves turn.
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The branches of ash trees are directly opposite on another.
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Each leaf of an ash tree has five to 11 leaflets.
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Mature ash trees have diamond shaped bark.
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Ash trees have oar shaped seeds which appear in the fall.
Additional information on identifying ash trees and photographs of ash trees’ features are available on many websites. The following websites have excellent pictures of ash trees’ branch structure, leaves, and seeds. Use your cell phone to compare your trees to the websites’ pictures of ash trees’ features.
Information on identifying white fringe trees is available on Virginia Polytechnic Institute’s website, http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=27.
Cutting down ash trees, either proactively or once infestation has occurred, is one option. Insecticide treatments also are available. Property owners interested in insecticide treatment options should be aware that treatment must repeated periodically in order to remain effective.
Additional information about the emerald ash borer, including insecticide treatments, is available on the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s website, http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/whatiseab.html.
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Additional Links
Contact Information
482 Hudson Terrace
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Telephone:
201-569-5252
Fax:
201-569-4356
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