Beresford resident working hard to fight the invasive insect
Riva Sharples | Editor
If you own an ash tree of any type, there is a dangerous pest you should know about: the emerald ash borer.
The invasive species, which arrived in Michigan in the early 2000s, is now in southeastern South Dakota, devastating ash tree populations here. The insect was confirmed in Canton last year, where it took out every ash tree in the community that wasn’t treated. Last week, the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources confirmed the presence of the problematic insect in two new SD communities (Watertown and Milbank). The other communities where the emerald ash borer (EAB) is now confirmed are all in eastern South Dakota: Brookings, Baltic, Humboldt, Crooks, Hartford, Tea, Lennox, Worthing, Brandon, Sioux Falls, and Canton.
Locally, the invasive pest is confirmed on a farm six miles north of Beresford, and area resident Tim Andersen, a tree expert for the past 20 years, says he’s pretty sure he’s spotted EAB damage on trees just two miles north of Beresford.
Andersen holds a degree in Landscape Design and Horticulture. For the past ten years, he’s specialized in trees, and, recently, his concentration has been fighting the EAB. This year, he even started a business – Andersen Enterprises — to help others fight the invasive and damaging insect.
“I really have a passion for trees,” Andersen said. “I’ve been treating my own ash trees against EAB for several years, and I want to help others try to save theirs too.”
The emerald ash borer is an invasive wood-boring beetle. It is native to Asia and arrived in North America on wood packing material in 2001, according to information from the US Department of Agriculture. Adult beetles destroy trees gradually over time by laying eggs in the bark crevices of the trees. The larvae feed under the bark, creating tunnels and burrows, eventually disrupting the flow of nutrients and water to the tree. Infested trees die gradually over a period of two to four years.
At first, the damage is hard to spot, says Andersen.
“The beetles are so small, you don’t usually see them flying around,” he said. “Unfortunately, you don’t really see signs in an infected tree for a year or two after the larvae is already there. Then, you start to see central branches dying out.”
The only good news in this fight against the EAB is that the EAB is relatively slow to spread. Adult beetles can only fly about half a mile on their own. This means that it takes time for them to move from community to community.
The bad news is that beetle larvae can live on dead wood for up to two years. This means that some of the spread occurring throughout the nation and state is coming from human transport of untreated wood from one place to another.
Once infected, ash trees can be saved if caught early enough. Of course, prevention is always the best defense, says Andersen.
“Prevention is always better than trying to save a tree once it’s infested,” says Andersen. “A tree can be treated before it is infested, and that is the best way to keep it healthy.”
To treat trees, Andersen uses a computerized machine to take careful measurements of the tree. Then, small holes are drilled at the base of the tree where an insecticide is inserted. The insecticide is safe for the tree but will kill or prevent EAB larvae from living in the tree.
Preventative or restorative treatment of ash trees is not a one and done solution, though. Treatment of the tree must happen yearly or every other year for about a decade, with some possible maintenance needed after that.
It’s worth the hassle, though, says Andersen, when one considers the value of trees on a property: energy savings due to the shade provided by trees, aesthetic appeal, improved air quality, erosion prevention, heightened property value (trees on a property can increase property value by up to 15%, according to statistics), and more.
Additionally, when one considers the cost of losing a tree – financially, it can cost $2,000 to $3,000 to cut down a tree and remove the stump – treatment may be a smarter and more economical option. Additionally, it takes a lifetime to grow a tree, so fighting to save existing trees is often the only viable option for homeowners.
“Ninety-eight to 99% of trees, if treated, with survive,” says Andersen. “I urge people to take action now to save their ash trees before the EAB arrives.”
Andersen predicts that with the current location of the EAB in rural southeastern South Dakota, it will be in Beresford within a year. He’s working hard now trying to prevent this from happening. Thus far this season, he’s treated 160 trees in the area, but he believes this is “not nearly enough.”
“I’d like to treat a lot more,” he says. “When the infestation hit Canton, every tree was dead unless treated, so it’s a real battle.”
If you have ash trees you are worried about – or if you just want to find out more about what services Andersen offers — contact him at 605-957-5254 or timandersen80@gmail.com. For more information about the emerald ash borer in South Dakota, please visit https://emeraldashborerinsouthdakota.sd.gov/.