Key takeaways
- Emerald ash borer is present across Tennessee
- Early signs are thinning tops, sprouts on the trunk and woodpecker damage
- Treatment can protect healthy trees if started early
- Dead ash wood becomes brittle quickly, so removal should not wait
The signs
Look for thinning crowns, branch dieback, new sprouts low on the trunk, bark that splits and woodpeckers stripping bark in blond patches. Small D-shaped holes in the bark are the exit marks of adult beetles.
A tree can look fine for a year or two while larvae feed under the bark.
Treat or remove?
Healthy ash trees with less than about a third of the crown affected can often be protected with trunk or soil treatments on a schedule. The earlier you start, the better the odds.
Trees that are heavily damaged are better removed, because ash wood dries and becomes brittle.
Plan ahead
If you have several ash trees, make a plan: protect the ones that matter, remove the rest before they fail and plant replacement trees of other species.
An arborist visit can identify ash trees, check their condition and give you options.
Related services
Quick answers
How do I know my tree is an ash?
Ash trees have compound leaves with five to nine leaflets that grow opposite each other on the stem, and diamond-patterned bark. An arborist can confirm.
Does treatment work?
Treatments can protect healthy trees when done early and repeated on schedule.
Ready to talk it through? Get a free estimate or call 615-431-3789.