The Rundown: Village Continues Battle Against Emerald Ash Borer

Battling EAB: During Monday's Village Board meeting, trustees heard staff's annual report on emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation in Burr Ridge, which was first discovered in 2008.

According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Website, the emerald ash borer is a beetle native to Asia. EAB plant their larvae under the bark of ash trees, which then hatch and bore their way through the soft under-bark, preventing the tree from delivering nutrients. Die-back begins in the crown and eventually, the tree is destroyed.

Because trees are often heavily infested when symptoms appear and the effectiveness of treatments was questioned, many villages have simply opted to remove trees after they become infested and replace them with another species of tree.

During his presentation, Public Works Director Paul May said he was pleased to report that while Burr Ridge took the road less traveled in 2008 and opted to try treating ash trees, it appears to have been very successful.

“We are one of the few, and earliest [municipalities] to enact a treatment program instead of a removal one,” May said. “I think it is the most effective plan from both a cost and impact standpoint.”

Of the 545 public ash trees in the Village, only 15 have been removed since treatment began in 2009. The treatments must be repeated every year to keep the trees safe. May said the low number of removals was significant evidence that the treatments were working.

Regarding the private stock of ash trees, May said 300, all untreated, were tagged by the Village for removal. He said residents who had a tree tagged received a mailing and a door hanger and the tree must be removed. May said the tagging of infested trees this year is complete, so residents who did not have their tree tagged, can assume it's still healthy and worth treating.

The Village projects infestation will spread throughout the entire village by 2016, so treatment should begin soon. The Village has treatment options and plans listed on their Website.

EAB contract: Trustees accepted staff recommendations that a contract be awarded to Kramer Tree Specialists for EAB treatment to public ash trees in the community. Kramer's bid came in at $2.50 per diameter-inch for the root drench application method of imidacloprid, an EAB insecticide.