Emerald Ash Borer Treatment in Central Minnesota

Trusted EAB Control Since 2003

If you live in the greater St. Cloud area — including St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St. Augusta, St. Joseph, or Clear Lake — your ash trees are at serious risk from Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). EAB spreads both by flight and through infested firewood, making it alarmingly easy to transport unknowingly.

Valley Green Companies uses a 99% effective, micro-infusion treatment proven to stop EAB in its tracks — but it must be applied early. Learn how we protect ash trees in Central Minnesota and get your free estimate today.

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Valley Green team performing micro-infusion method of Emerald Ash Borer treatment on an Ash tree at a St. Cloud home.

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Central Minnesota Emerald Ash Borer Treatment FAQ

Is Emerald Ash Borer Still A Threat?

Yes, EAB is still a threat.

This invasive forest insect has killed millions of ash trees across the eastern half of the United States. Minnesota has nearly one billion ash trees, the most of any state, and EAB attacks all varieties native to North America. This makes EAB a huge threat to Minnesota’s ash trees.

How Do I Identify Ash Trees?

Ash trees have:

Large canopy for shade
Compound leaves with 5–11 leaflets
Opposite branching pattern
Smooth bark when young, becoming ridged with age
Oar-shaped seeds (samaras) that linger into early winter

Is Emerald Ash Borer An Invasive Species?

EAB is a highly invasive species.

EAB was first discovered in North America in Michigan in 2002. It has spread to most of the eastern-U.S. and eastern Canada.

How Did Emerald Ash Borer Get To Minnesota?

No one knows exactly how the first EAB got to Minnesota, but it first appeared in St. Paul in 2009.

In other cases, EAB has been spread through the carrying of firewood across county or state lines or brought in on solid wood packing material carried in international cargo ships and planes.

Where Is Emerald Ash Borer In Minnesota?

EAB appeared in St. Paul in 2009, Minneapolis in 2010, Duluth in 2016, and the greater St. Cloud area in 2018-2019. Find an interactive map of the Minnesota infestation here.

What Does Emerald Ash Borer Damage Look Like?

EAB larvae hatch from eggs, chew through bark and tunnel underneath the bark.

These “S”-shaped tunnels cut off the trees’ natural nutrient pipelines running up and down the trunk or branches. As bark falls off, you’ll be able to see the tunnels underneath. When the larvae grow into adulthood, they tunnel back out through the bark, leaving small “D” shaped holes on their exit.

How Is Emerald Ash Borer Spread?

EAB is typically spread through firewood carried from one location to another.

Nearly every agency and government in North American now recommends campers purchase firewood at or very close to their campsite. Carrying firewood across county and state lines, no matter the species, can even be punished with fines.

Emerald Ash Borer can also fly a few miles in a year.

What Trees Does Emerald Ash Borer Attack?

EAB attacks ash trees, specifically all species native to North America: green ash, black ash, white ash, and blue ash.

How Far Can Emerald Ash Borers Travel In A Year?

EABs can fly a few miles in a year during their adult phase – most of their spread is due to negligence in transporting infected wood.

Will Emerald Ash Borer Attack Other Trees?

Very rarely will EAB attack non-ash trees.

There’s been only one documented case of EAB attacking a white fringetree, but that tree doesn’t grow near Minnesota.

How Does Valley Green Treat Emerald Ash Borer?

Valley Green Companies uses the micro-infusion method to prevent EAB damage.

Micro-infusion uses a small drill and tee needle to provide chemical directly into the cambial zone where it is most effective. Treatment must take place in the first year of infestation to be effective – trees die within two to three years of EAB infestation.

How Much Does Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Cost?

The cost to treat a 14-inch diameter (40-inch circumference) ash tree for every other year is ~$220.

Preventative treatment should be done every other year. When you consider the cost of removing and replacing an infected tree, the cost of prevention through EAB treatment is significantly less.

Is Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Effective?

Our micro-infusion method is highly effective and reduces damage to the tree. Micro-infusion involves lightly drilling a tee needle about one-inch inside the tree and infusing the chemical directly under the bark. This allows the treatment to quickly spread throughout the tree.

When Should I Call For Emerald Ash Borer Treatment?

If you notice heavy woodpecker activity, bark falling off revealing tunnels, or the distinctive “D”-shaped holes of adult EAB tunneling out, call right away. Treatment needs to start as a preventative measure and continue every two years to be effective.

If your ash tree looks like it’s lost 30% of its canopy already, it may be too late for treatment. Ash trees must be healthy enough to carry the insecticide up the trunk, into the branches and canopy.

How Fast Does Emerald Ash Borer Kill Ash Trees?

Often, when symptoms begin to appear on the tree, it has already been infested for at least one year. Also, it’s rare to see an adult Emerald Ash Borer because they are small and flighty, which makes identification difficult. Generally speaking, here is a timeline of how your tree might look during the infection period.

Year 0 – Summer / July
One or several adult Emerald Ash Borers land on your Ash tree, and proceed to lay eggs underneath the bark.

Your tree looks absolutely normal.

Year 0 – Fall / August-October
The eggs begin to hatch, and start to bore through the trees vascular tissue. At the end of fall, the larvae prepare to spend the winter inside the tree.

The larvae’s feeding on the vascular tissue prevents the tree from providing water and nutrients to higher leaves and branches. Your tree continues to look normal, as it has begun to enter the dormant time of year.

Year 0 – Winter / November-February
The Emerald Ash Borer larvae are dormant inside your Ash tree.

Year 0 – Spring / March-April
The larvae begin to pupate, preparing to turn into adults.

Your tree may begin to show signs of not sprouting new leaves on affected branches, but probably not enough to notice. You may start to notice more woodpeckers attracted to your tree, attempting to eat the larvae beneath the bark.

Year 0 – Summer / May-June
The adults emerge, and fly around to find a new place to lay eggs. They feed on the leaves of ash trees during this time. They may stay on a single tree, or fly up to two miles to find a new home.

Your tree may still have only a couple of branches affected, which may look like normal age or decay to you. You may also notice the distinct “D”-shaped holes of adult EAB tunneling out of your bark.

Year 1 – Summer / July
Many more Emerald Ash Borer adults land on your tree, exponentially increasing the number of eggs laid under the bark.

Your tree may still have only a couple of branches affected, which may look like normal age or decay to you.

Year 1 – Fall / August-October
The plentiful eggs begin to hatch, and start to bore through the trees vascular tissue. At the end of fall, the larvae prepare to spend the winter inside the tree.

This year, your tree will really start to be affected by the vast number of Emerald Ash Borer larvae tunneling through the tissue.

Year 1 – Winter / November-February
The Emerald Ash Borer larvae are dormant inside your Ash tree.

Year 1 – Spring / March-April

The larvae begin to pupate, preparing to turn into adults.

At this point, you may have noticed that up to 30% of your tree’s canopy stopped producing leaves and has died. This is when most people call Valley Green Companies for help. Treatment must start right away.

Year 1 – Summer / May-June
The adults emerge, and fly around to find a new place to lay eggs. They feed on the leaves of ash trees during this time. They may stay on a single tree, or fly up to two miles to find a new home.

Your tree will still look like a good home to the Emerald Ash Borer, who will likely stay and continue to increase in numbers without treatment.

Year 2 – Summer / July
Many more Emerald Ash Borer adults land on your tree, exponentially increasing the number of eggs laid under the bark.

Hopefully at this point you have Valley Green Companies coming out to provide treatment which will affect the larvae as they try to feed in the fall.

And On
If the infestation goes untreated, most ash trees are completely dead sometime from Year 3 to Year 5. Weaker ash trees are usually the first to be infested.

When is the best time of the year to treat for Emerald Ash Borer in Saint Cloud?

We start treating after Memorial Day and can treat through mid-September.

What is the name of the chemical your company uses to treat the tree?

Emamectin Benzoate

When would the two-year guarantee start?

We guarantee our work: If you have your ash trees treated every 2 years by Valley Green Companies and a tree were to die from Emerald Ash Borer after we have been treating it. We will refund the amount from the last treatment. The treatment program we use has a 99% success rate.

Should we deep-water the ash tree before you come out?

All applications should be watered prior to us coming. We recommend that you water the tree two days prior, two times a day for about 30 minutes. We also recommend that you water the tree for 3 days after the application for 30 minutes a day.

What time of day is the best time to apply EAB treatment?

It doesn’t matter on the time of day for the treatment.

Will you treat canker at no charge, if a "canker infection" shows up in the years to come?

We don’t treat the canker disease. There would be a charge.

How long has your company been doing EAB applications in the area?

We started treating the Emerald Ash Borer since it first showed up in twin cities in 2003.

How experienced is the EAB applicator?

Michael has been treating tree’s for the last 34 years.

Do you accept credit cards?

Yes, we take Visa or MasterCard.

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