In less than five years, Southeast Ohio could lose a significant source of natural beauty and timber to the emerald ash borer.
The half-inch-long beetle has been a threat to Ohio’s ash trees since 2003, when it was first spotted in Toledo. Less than a decade later, the possibility of Ohio losing a tenth of its entire tree population to the bug is stronger than ever, according to the website of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
“I don’t think we’ve ever had an insect cause this much of a problem,” said Drew Todd, state urban forestry coordinator at the ODNR Division of Forestry. “If you have an ash tree in your yard, now is the time to start worrying.”
The first sighting of the emerald ash borer in America was in Canton, Mich., in 2002. The beetle, native to Asia, was likely transported overseas in shipping containers. The potential damage these bugs can cause has been compared with the effects of Dutch elm disease, which wiped out more than 77 million trees within 40 years in the mid-1900s.
Ohio ash trees are under a statewide quarantine that prohibits their removal and transportation between counties and outside of the state. Today, the bug has been identified in 57 counties in Ohio.
“Right now, I don’t think there’s any hope of getting it under control,” Todd said. “But after the emerald ash borer consumes all the ash trees, then the population will crash because there won’t be enough food to sustain them.”
Since the first Ohio sighting, the Athens Shade Tree Commission has taken inventory of the county’s ash trees and planted small purple boxes in their branches to detect the parasite’s presence.
The survey shows there are more than 400 ash trees in the city’s right of way and many more unaccounted for on private property.
“They’re great shade trees and there would be a significant impact if we had to remove them,” said Ron Lucas, assistant service-safety director for the city of Athens. “We don’t know when it’s going to get here or how it’s going to go about killing the trees, but we are preparing for it when it comes.”
In preparation for an infestation, the commission has evaluated the strength and size of its ash trees to secure funding for removing them. Just one tree can cost more than $1,000 to remove if there are nearby power lines or other obstacles, Lucas said.
For an average-sized tree, though, the cost of removal is about $300, meaning the city would need a minimum of $120,000 to remove its 400 ashes.
“When Dutch elm disease hit, we replaced the elms with mostly ash trees,” said David Ingram, chair of the City of Athens Shade Tree Commission. “That was a huge mistake because we try to keep at least four species in any planting plan.”
Athens’ tree replacement planting program aims to plant two trees for each tree removed. Ingram said that although it won’t happen immediately, Athens’ ashes would be replaced if they become infested.
To prevent invasive species from taking their place, vacant lots will be refilled with maples, sycamores, oaks and poplars.
Before the bug hits, landowners are recommended to evaluate their ash stock and treat it with certified borer-killing chemicals.
“To think the bug is going to bypass you is not an option,” Todd said.
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