Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald Ash Borer Treatment 

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive green jewel beetle native to eastern Asia that feeds and breeds on Green and White Ash trees. American Ash trees have no natural defense against the EAB. The insect killed tens of millions of trees across 22 states east of the Mississippi River.

The EAB arrived in Colorado in 2013 when the invasive green jewel beetle appeared in Boulder near the University of Colorado campus. It moved out of Boulder in 2019, giving surrounding cities six years to set up EAB management programs. In 2016, The City of Denver implemented its “Be A Smart Ash” program to educate its citizens about EAB. City Foresters do expect property owners to manage the Ash on their property. In a nutshell, homeowners need to remove any marginal Ash trees on their property and get their high-value trees treated now. Any Ash tree in poor health needs removal. 

Are Ash Trees Worth Saving?

An attractive, mature tree landscape is worth about five to ten percent of a home’s real estate value. Since the average home price in Denver is $545,000, this equates to between $27,000 to $54,000 in value. It may take up to three years for EAB detection. So, when a property owner notices the bug, it is too late to save their Ash. Prevention is the best tactic.