Update: The Emerald Ash Borer is Moving Closer to the Seacoast

This is the latest article scheduled to publish in our seacoastonline.com column titled Taking Root. Because this information is so important to our community I felt it best not to wait. Please take a moment to find out how you can help protect our seacoast. I can be reached at 603.431.0101 or contacted through our company website at www.seacoasttreecare.com

Emerald Ash Borer Moves Closer to the Seacoast

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), the invasive beetle that is killing ash trees in the US at an alarming rate, has been detected in North Andover, MA. That’s just 3 miles from the NH border, and 30 miles from Portsmouth. As a result, Essex County, MA has placed a quarantine on the transportation of firewood and untreated lumber. EAB was detected in Concord, NH in 2013 and a similar quarantine is in effect for Merrimack County. If we want to save our ash trees, it’s time to start treating ash trees on the Seacoast.

The discovery of EAB in North Andover was lucky, and it shows how we can all help keep an eye out for the spread of this pest. Matthew Mountzuris noticed a stand of trees with dead canopies and increased woodpecker activity and called the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Massachusetts. Turns out they were all white ash, and all infected.

Here’s what you can do:

Burn It Where You Buy It: If you only take one thing away from this article, it should be this: Don’t transport firewood! If you’re going camping, or know anyone who is, tell them not to bring their own firewood but buy it locally at the campsite. Experts agree that the transportation of firewood can move invasive pests hundreds of miles and is one of the biggest threats to our ash trees. (And if you do buy firewood at the campsite don’t bring any back with you.) If you buy firewood to heat your home, ensure it is locally sourced (and preferably kiln dried).

Identification and Inspection: If you don’t how to identify an ash tree, go to www.nhbugs.org. This site is the best resource for current information on EAB in New Hampshire. The site has great information and links on how to identify ash trees and how to inspect your trees for infestation. Learn what signs and symptoms to look for, and inspect your property thoroughly. If you find signs of infestation, you can submit a report at the NH Bugs site. If you see trees this spring that have dead or dying canopies, that’s a great indication of a potential problem.

Spread the Word (and Keep Yourself Informed): Tell your neighbors and friends who own property with ash trees about the EAB. Stay current on the latest news, treatment options and the spread of the infestation. As the experts learn more about what works and what doesn’t treatments are changing and evolving. The  United States Department of Agriculture has a great site at http://stopthebeetle.info which has a wealth of information to keep you up to date, as well as some fun projects that will help your kids learn about the EAB, too.

Treatment: Best treatment options for EAB is surrounded by debate and conjecture, and is best left to professionals who have kept current the latest research. The Seacoast, and the Great Bay in particular, are extremely sensitive areas and misuse of insecticides can kill wildlife and endanger our ecosystem. Initial intensive studies by Michigan State University have shown trunk injection treatments with emamectin benzoate to be up to 99% effective and last as long as 3 years, so there is hope. There are also ongoing studies of non-stinging parasitic wasps that are a natural predator, and these show great promise.

The Emerald Ash Borer has already killed millions of trees, and the spread has continued every year since it was first discovered in Michigan in 2002. Let’s all make it a priority to protect our region against the spread of the EAB. In turn, we’ll be protecting our forests, our Seacoast, our campsites, our fishing holes, and our neighborhoods. Help keep yourself up to date with some of these online resources:

www.nhbugs.org
www.stopthebeetle.info
www.emeraldashborer.info

Meet the Seacoast Tree Care Crew

You may have heard us say "trees are treasures." It is not simply a slogan -- it's our constitution, and we run our business based on this belief. We hope you'll enjoy our short video that helps define the essence of what we really mean when we say "Trees are treasures. And we're their guardians."

Get Ready for Spring by Winterizing Your Landscape

Go ahead, pat yourself on the back, your efforts have paid off. Your property looked gorgeous this summer and the Joneses struggled to keep up. Time for some much needed rest, right? Wrong. Your landscape needs you more than ever to help it through the long months ahead. We've assembled a number of things you can do to ensure next summer your landscape is healthy and full of color. Check out our latest column published by Seacoast Media Group Titled: As winter nears, time to put your yard to bed

We Have A Winner!

Our "Save A Tree" promotion to lure folks away from our informative and beautiful (but tree-abusing) mailer has come to an end. We added a good number of new names to our e-mail list, and by random selection (drumroll, please...): PAUL FUREY! Congrats to Paul, he'll soon be receiving a $50 gift card for his effort.

We want to welcome everyone who signed up, you're all winners in our book (even though only Paul's getting the gift card this round). We're already working on another batch of arboreal articles for the e-news blast to keep you up to date on all the latest tips and tricks from the treetops! The contest may be over, but if you haven't registered to receive our e-newsletter directly in your inbox, you are certainly still invited to. 

Click here to sign up now!

The Latest Emerald Ash Borer Update: 4 Things You Can Do to Help

It's likely you've heard the news: The emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive pest from Asia that has killed tens of millions of trees in the eastern United States and Canada, has been found in Concord. What can you do to help? We invite you to read our latest column published by Seacoast Media Group Titled: Emerald ash borer poses threat to N.H. trees

Courtesy of the University of Georgia

As we learn more about this potential threat to the seacoast, we'll keep you updated.

What on Earth Is the Emerald Ash Borer and Why Should I Care

 (image taken from The National Park Service)

What on Earth is the Emerald Ash Borer and why should I care? This really is two separate questions, so I'll take them one at a time.

About the EAB: The emerald ash borer was discovered in southeast Michigan in 2002. Some estimates put the the number of ash trees killed as high as 100 million. It's a green beetle native to Asia - big deal right? But it's also an invasive beetle that attacks and kills ash trees. Voraciously.

This little bugger has been spotted in Concord NH and an emergency quarantine has been put in place in Merrimack County banning all species of ash (including wood chips, firewood and the like) from traveling outside the county limits.

Currently, 2 meetings are scheduled for May 2, and include the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development’s Division of Forests and Lands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA APHIS PPQ), the U.S. Forest Service, and yours truly, Dan Mello. The state and the country are taking the spread of this pest very seriously and so are we. We are attending to learn as much as we can, not only to take a proactive approach, but to help keep the community informed in order to solicit their help, if and when it becomes necessary.

Why Should I Care? It may seem that the loss of ash trees may not affect you, especially if you don't have any on your property. But this invasion affects everyone: The excerpt below was taken from a recent study by the US Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/news/2013/01/tree-human-health.shtml.
In an analysis of 18 years of data from 1,296 counties in 15 states, researchers found that Americans living in areas infested by the emerald ash borer, a beetle that kills ash trees, suffered from an additional 15,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 6,000 more deaths from lower respiratory disease when compared to uninfected areas. When emerald ash borer comes into a community, city streets lined with ash trees become treeless.

As we learn more about this potential threat to the seacoast, we'll keep you updated. In the meantime, keep an eye out for the insect, as well as our next Taking Root article published by seacoastonline.com.

How to Select the Right Tree for Your Yard

If you're thinking of adding new trees to your landscape, now is the time. The best season to plant is in the spring before the buds appear. This is not a decision to take lightly. Take a little time before you get started to learn how to choose the right type of tree and location for your project, as well as proper planting procedures. We invite you to read the latest article in our Taking Root series titled The Time is Right for Planting Trees.