Emerald Ash Borer confirmed in Oak Park

July 25, 2008 – Following an inspection Friday of an ash tree in the parkway of the 700 block of North Lombard Avenue, the Illinois Department of Agriculture today confirmed signs that the small beetle that has devastated ash trees across the upper Midwest is in Oak Park. State officials peeled back bark on the tree, looking for signs of the small D-shaped holes where the new adult insects emerge for the first time. They also hung five purple EAB traps – one near each corner of the Village and the fifth within blocks of where the tree was tested. The traps resemble box kites and contain a substance that attracts the beetles and catches them with a sticky residue, helping officials gauge the extent of the bug's presence.

The official word – Oak Park's addition to the growing list of Illinois communities where the beetle had been confirmed posted on the IDA web site – came as no surprise to Village arborists. Efforts began more than two years ago to warn residents about the dangers of the Emerald Ash Borer and the risk of bringing it to Oak Park in firewood from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana where the tiny bug has led to the destruction of millions of ash trees.

"We had been saying for some time now that it was not a question of if, but when," said Village Forester Jim Semelka. "But there is no need to panic. We have an inventory of all of our trees and will systematically inspect each ash tree on public property to determine the number of those exhibiting symptoms of EAB. We then will develop removal plans accordingly. These trees will not die suddenly or become hazardous in the short term."

Oak Park sits deep within a quarantine area that covers much of Northeastern Illinois, a location that makes it unlikely borers from the Village could infest any area not already within the quarantine boundaries. State officials say that for locations such as Oak Park that already are within the quarantine area, it is up to the local government to determine the proper strategy for removal of infested trees, the only successful management strategy.

Village foresters will first focus on parkway ash trees, removing those that prove to be infested, their condition An new adult EAB ready to emerge determining the priority of removal. Village officials will need to determine how best to deal with ash trees on private property as well. A long-term strategy, likely five or more years, will be needed, they say. Semelka said he will urge officials to view this situation as an opportunity to improve the Village's urban forest. Many of the current issues with Village trees came from the well-intentioned, but perhaps too quick response to Dutch Elm Disease, he said. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the priority in many communities, including Oak Park, was just replacing a diseased tree as quickly as possible, with too little attention given to important considerations such as spacing, species diversity and proper growth habits. As diseased ash trees are removed in response to EAB, many of the mistakes of the past can be corrected with patience and care in how replacements are selected and where they are planted, Semelka said.

The Emerald Ash Borer is believed to have arrived in the United States in southeastern Michigan as a stowaway in wooden packing materials from Asia, making its way to neighboring states in firewood. The beetle is small and stealth-like in its behavior patterns and is extremely difficult to detect. Adult ash borers gnaw their way out of trees in early June, emerging from D-shaped holes about one-eighth in diameter. The small, metallic-green beetles — about a half-inch long and an eighth-inch wide — then lay their eggs on fresh bark, often traveling up to a half mile. Once the larvae hatch, they burrow into the tree and carve tunnels into the vascular system, eventually cutting off the flow of nutrients and killing the tree. The most recognizable signs of infestation are declining tops and deadwood higher up in the tree. Sprouts from the trunk and roots are a somewhat later sign.

Anyone with concerns about an ash tree or questions should call 708.358.5700 or e-mail the Forestry Division .

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Foresters move from education to action as Emerald Ash Borer threat grows

July 25, 2008 – Village foresters say the question is not if the Emerald Ash Borer will ever reach Oak Park, but when. That’s why they are installing traps and checking under the bark of a sampling of the 2,600 ash trees on Village property. While no EAB infestations have been found in the Village so far, the voracious insect has been confirmed throughout the area, including in neighboring Chicago and nearby River Grove. Oak Park forestry officials say it likely is just a matter of time before the tiny, but deadly, emerald-green beetles are found here, too.

"EAB is the biggest threat to our urban forest since Dutch Elm Disease," said Village Forester Jim Semelka, who pointed out that ash trees represent nearly 14 percent of the 19,000-plus trees on public property in Oak Park. "We have been focusing on public education for more than two years, warning about the dangers of bringing the beetle to the Village in firewood, explaining the symptoms of infestation and urging residents to call us with questions and concerns. Now, we are aggressively looking for signs of the beetle."

The Village will hang six special traps in ash trees in various locations in the community, beginning today. The traps are purple, resemble box kites and contain a substance that attracts the beetles and catches them with a sticky residue, allowing officials to determine if the beetle is present in the area.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is providing traps to communities throughout Illinois. Some 750 traps are being installed in the Chicagoland area, and another 3,000 traps hung in 49 counties across central and northwestern Illinois and at various high-risk sites such as tree nurseries and campgrounds. In addition to hanging the traps, Village foresters also will be inspecting the crowns of these trees using an aerial lift truck to look for the small, D-shaped holes left by new adult insects emerging for the first time. Staff also will use special tools to peel back bark on other selected trees to look for the characteristic markings left by the feeding larva.

"We've been preparing for this effort for some time now," Semelka said. "EAB has been the number one topic of discussion for municipal arborists for that last few years. The budget implications of removals and, of course, the visual impact on the community the loss of our ash trees would have, are on everyone's minds. Fortunately, we have been working for the past decade to diversify the species of trees in our municipal forest in Oak Park. Diversity really is the answer to preventing future devastation from an insect or disease like EAB or DED that afflicts a single kind of tree."

The borer is believed to have arrived in the United States in southeastern Michigan as a stowaway in wooden packing materials from Asia, making its way to neighboring states in firewood. The beetle is small and stealth-like in its behavior patterns and is extremely difficult to detect. If not controlled, officials say, EAB threatens to devastate the entire ash species in North America.

Adult ash borers gnaw their way out of trees in early June, emerging from D-shaped holes about one-eighth in diameter. The small, metallic-green beetles — about a half-inch long and an eighth-inch wide — then lay their eggs on fresh bark, often traveling up to a half mile. Once the larvae hatch, they burrow into the tree and carve tunnels into the vascular system, eventually cutting off the flow of nutrients and killing the tree. The most recognizable signs of infestation are declining tops and deadwood higher up in the tree. Sprouts from the trunk and roots are a somewhat later sign. Removal of infested trees has been the only successful management strategy, officials say.

Anyone with concerns about an ash tree or questions should call 708.358.5700 or e-mail the Forestry Division .

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Firewood a likely transporter
Emerald Ash Borer a threat to Village trees

July 1, 2006 – Village foresters are urging residents who purchase firewood to exercise caution to ensure the emerald ash borer’s voracious larvae don’t infest any of the 2,600 ash trees on public property and potentially hundreds more trees on private property.

The borer is believed to have arrived in the United States in southeastern Michigan near Detroit as a stowaway in wooden packing materials from Asia, making its way to neighboring states in firewood. Oak Parkers are urged to make sure any firewood they buy does not come from Michigan, Ohio or Indiana — or to avoid ash firewood altogether. If your wood vendor is unfamiliar with the emerald ash borer issue, consider another source, officials say.

Adult ash borers gnaw their way out of trees in early June, emerging from small, D-shaped holes about one-eighth in diameter. The small, metallic-green beetles — about a half-inch long and an eighth-inch wide — then lay their eggs on fresh bark, often traveling up to a half mile. Once the larvae hatch, they burrow into the tree and carve tunnels into the vascular system, eventually cutting off the flow of nutrients and killing the tree.

The most recognizable signs of infestation are declining tops and deadwood higher up in the tree. Sprouts from the trunk and roots are a somewhat later sign. Removal of infested trees has been the only successful management strategy.

Anyone with concerns about an ash tree or questions should call 358.5700 or e-mail the Public Works Department .

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Useful Information
Contact Number:
708.358.5700

E-mail:
PublicWorks@oak-park.us

Brochures & Fact Sheets:

EAB Insecticide Fact Sheet

Useful Links: