The emerald ash borer has arrived in Winnipeg, and it is systematically killing ash trees across the city. I have watched elms disappear to Dutch elm disease over decades, and now I am watching the same thing happen to ash. If your ash is showing the early signs, I can tell you honestly whether treatment is still worth pursuing or whether it needs to come down safely while I can still climb it. There is no charge for that first assessment.
What emerald ash borer actually is
The emerald ash borer is a small metallic green beetle, roughly the size of a grain of rice, that came to North America from Asia. The adult beetle does not eat much, but the larvae are the problem. They tunnel under the bark of ash trees, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients. Within a few years of infestation, an ash tree loses its ability to transport anything from root to canopy. The tree starves from the inside.
I can identify an infested ash by looking at the crown first. The tree thins from the top down, losing branches in a way that is different from storm damage or disease. When I look at the trunk and larger branches, I see D-shaped exit holes where the beetles have emerged. Woodpeckers, which love to eat the larvae, will have stripped bark and left horizontal scars as they dig for food. These three signs together tell me the borer is active in that tree.
Why it matters in St. Boniface
If I do not catch an ash tree early, the borer will kill it. A dead ash becomes a hazard. The wood becomes brittle and unpredictable to climb. Branches fail without warning. A dead tree in a residential setting can drop limbs onto a house, a car or a person. Removing a dead ash is more dangerous and more costly than removing a living one, because I have to work with wood that snaps and splinters.
Treatment is possible in the early stages, when the tree is still vigorous enough to fight back. But treatment is not cheap, and it only works if the tree has years of life left in it. If the borer has already killed most of the crown, or if the tree is old and declining for other reasons, treatment is wasted money. That is why I come out and look first. I tell you what I honestly see, not what makes the biggest sale. Sometimes the right call is removal while the wood is still safe to work with.
When to do emerald ash borer?
The emerald ash borer is active year-round in the wood, but the adult beetles emerge in late spring and early summer. That is when you are most likely to spot the D-shaped exit holes and the woodpecker damage. If you notice your ash tree thinning in the crown during summer, or if you see those telltale holes, that is the time to call. Do not wait until fall or winter, because by then the damage is already deep in the wood.
I also recommend walking your property each spring and looking at your ash trees carefully. Are the branches as full as they were last year? Is the canopy opening up from the top? Do you see small holes in the bark? Early detection makes a difference. If you catch it in the first or second year of infestation, treatment may still work. If you wait until the tree is half-dead, your options shrink fast. The sooner you call, the more honest choices I can give you.
How I work in Winnipeg neighbourhoods
When you call me at (431) 444-5195, I will ask you to describe what you are seeing and where your ash trees are. I will come out to your property and climb the tree or use binoculars to inspect the crown, trunk and branches. I look for the three signs: crown thinning, D-shaped holes and woodpecker damage. I also assess the overall health of the tree and how much of the crown is already dead.
Based on what I find, I will tell you whether treatment makes sense or whether removal is the better choice. If treatment is viable, I will explain what it involves and what the realistic outcome is. If removal is necessary, I will tell you how I will take the tree down, where the wood will go, and what happens to the stump. I will walk you through the whole process so there are no surprises. Once you decide, I schedule the work at a time that works for you. After the work is done, I clean up the site so you do not have debris scattered across your yard.
The situations I run into
Early infestation, vigorous tree: The borer has just arrived, the crown is still mostly full, and the tree is otherwise healthy. Treatment is worth considering. I will explain the commitment involved and the success rate based on the tree's condition.
Moderate infestation, declining tree: The borer has been there for a year or two, the crown is noticeably thinner, and the tree is slowing down. Treatment may still slow the decline, but the tree may not survive regardless. Removal becomes a reasonable alternative, especially if the tree is in a risky location.
Advanced infestation, dead or nearly dead crown: More than half the crown is already gone, or the entire top is dead. The tree is finished. Removal is the only option. I will take it down safely while the wood is still climbable, before weather or failure forces an emergency call.
Ash tree, no signs yet: You have an ash but no visible damage. If you are in an area where the borer is active, I recommend monitoring. Do not plant another ash as a replacement for a tree you remove. There are many other species that do better here and live longer.
