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- From: "Jeff Ball" <jeffball@starband.net>
- To: "'gardenwriters-on-gardening'" <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: RE: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer
- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 09:13:51 -0400
Nancy Szerlag and I live in Lapeer County in south central Michigan,
right in the middle of the emerald ash borer invasion. Over 6 million
ash trees have been lost so far in southeastern Michigan counties.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that ash trees in the entire
country will be at risk within 5 to 10 years even if good controls are
developed. I predict the same results as we experienced with Dutch Elm
disease - loss of most of the ash street trees in the nation.
What is amazing to me is how stupid the horticultural leadership is
being around this issue; primarily the County Extension, Michigan State
University, and local governments. The first problem is that local
goverments systematically replaced most dead Elm trees with Ash trees;
repeating the very same mistake of having too many of one species as
street trees. So for example, it will cost Ann Arbor over $50 million
to replace those ash street trees already lost, ash trees that had been
planted to replace dead Elms.
If you check out the reference that Lon gave us from the Ohio extension,
you will see that they are loudly recommending NOT to do anything about
any homeowner ash trees even if they are near infested trees! It seems
to be a political/legal issue which I assume is based on their terror of
being sued by 1000's of people who might follow their advice, lose an
ash tree anyway, and then blame the Ohio extension. In Michigan it is
almost as bad.
Here is our read on the issue. Bayer's Tree and Shrub Insecticide uses
Imidacloprid (Merit) as its active ingredient. As Tom points out,
professionals are injecting it into endangered trees. Michigan State
quietly released information that showed that Merit could be used by
homeowners if they dug holes around the root zone and applied the Merit;
and if you do this every year, you have some reason to expect
protection; but you have to do it forever. Nancy and I are testing that
approach with 4 ashes that we don't want to lose. We have 20 wooded
acres which contains about 25% ash which we expect to lose. Bonide has
come out with a new systemic that is also labeled for Emerald Ash borer,
but it is not on the market yet.
Local newspapers have reported that there is a biological control being
developed at Michigan State which shows some promise and could be
sprayed from the air to give ash trees in the forest some protection -
that is probably years away even if it works.
In the meantime, our well meaning governments here and in Ontario are
cutting mile wide swathes of all ash trees around infested areas to try
to stop the spread of the adult. Arborists in Michigan are laughing at
that effort as useless and a great waste of time and money.
I will, in the next few days, put together a tip sheet on what I know
about options for dealing with emerald ash borer and post it here for
whatever that might be worth to anyone; just promise not to sue me if
they don't work (grin).
Jeff Ball
-
[gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Lon J. Rombough, 04/19/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Carolyn Ulrich, 04/19/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Pamela K, 04/20/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Tom Ogren, 04/20/2004
-
RE: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Jeff Ball, 04/20/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Ron Whitehurst, 04/20/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
John MacGregor, 04/20/2004
- RE: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer, Jeff Ball, 04/21/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
John MacGregor, 04/20/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Ron Whitehurst, 04/20/2004
-
RE: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Jeff Ball, 04/20/2004
-
RE: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Jeff Ball, 04/20/2004
- Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer, nancy szerlag, 04/20/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Tom Ogren, 04/20/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Pamela K, 04/20/2004
- Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer, Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, 04/20/2004
-
Re: [gwl-g] Emerald Ash Borer,
Carolyn Ulrich, 04/19/2004
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