Emerald Ash Borer in Joplin: Is Your Ash Tree Dying?
If you have an Ash tree in Joplin, it is under attack.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive green beetle that has killed millions of Ash trees across Missouri. It is not a matter of "if" your tree will get it, but "when."
How to Identify an Ash Tree
- Leaves: Compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets.
- Bark: Diamond-shaped ridges on older trees.
- Branching: Opposite branching (branches grow directly across from each other).
Signs of Infestation
- Canopy Thinning: The top of the tree starts to die back. You see more sky than leaves.
- D-Shaped Holes: Look closely at the bark. EAB beetles leave distinct "D" shaped exit holes about 1/8 inch wide.
- Woodpeckers: If woodpeckers are shredding your bark, they are hunting for the EAB larvae underneath. This is often the first sign homeowners notice.
The "Treat or Remove" Decision
Once an Ash tree is infected, you have two choices:
1. Treatment (Systemic Injections)
- When to do it: If the tree still has at least 70% of its canopy and is structurally sound.
- Cost: It is a recurring cost (every 2 years) for the rest of the tree's life.
- Worth it? Only for high-value shade trees that are central to your landscape.
2. Removal (The Most Common Choice)
- When to do it: If the canopy is more than 30% dead.
- Urgency: EXTREME.
Why is removal urgent? Ash wood becomes incredibly brittle when it dies. Unlike Oaks that stand strong for years after death, dead Ash trees snap unpredictably.
If you wait until the tree is completely dead, it becomes too dangerous to climb. We cannot use ropes; we have to bring in a crane or bucket truck, which doubles the removal cost.
Don't Wait
If your Ash tree looks sick this summer, call us immediately. Removing it while it is still "green" is safer and cheaper than removing a brittle, dead skeleton next year.