Call Scientific Plant Service for the best Baltimore emerald ash borer control services.
The Emerald Ash Borer is a destructive, invasive pest that targets ash trees. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a wood-boring pest originating from Asia, first found in America in 2002. This invasive species has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees across 30 states, killing off trees within three to four years of infestation. Learning how to control and limit pest infestations is essential to what Scientific Plant Service can do for our clients. Our lawn care company has served our Baltimore clients well since our founding in 1957. The Scientific Plant Service staff is licensed to provide excellent care and belongs to many local associations. If you are in need of Baltimore Emerald Ash Borer control services, contact Scientific Plant Service today.
How to Spot Emerald Ash Borers
What does the Emerald Ash Borer look like? The EAB is a beetle that completes its life cycle of one to two years by moving through four distinct stages: egg, larvae, pupae, and adulthood. Adults are ⅜ to ⅝ of an inch long, with metallic bright green outer wings.
The eggs are tiny (1/25 of an inch) and reddish-brown. Larvae are white and grow to be about an inch long. The EAB’s larval stage is responsible for the damage that kills its host. The larvae’s feeding under the tree bark damages the tree’s ability to move moisture and nutrients from the soil to tree leaves, which causes ash tree decline and death.
The Signs and Symptoms of an EAB Infestation
If you suspect your tree is infested with the Emerald Ash Borer, there are a few telltale signs. Look for the following:
- Yellow, thin, or wilted foliage
- Unusual woodpecker presence as they peck holes and search for EAB larvae and pupae
- S-shaped larval galleries in the wood
- D-shaped exit holes in the bark. The exit holes are ⅛ inches in diameter and produced by the adults leaving the infested tree.
- Shoots growing from the roots or a tree’s trunk, often with larger-than-normal leaves.
Finally, the ultimate sign of an EAB infestation is tree canopy dieback. Canopy dieback, initially in the upper third of a tree indicates an infestation. Trees with severe or untreated infestations die within three to five years, while small trees may die within one to two years. Emerald ash borers can attack healthy and distressed trees.
