Resources for Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation on Private Property

More Information on the Emerald Ash Borer and Ash Trees

The Town program for injecting 177 ash trees along public roadways is now underway.  It is not feasible to save all of them, but best efforts are being taken to save as many as possible.  Unfortunately, last year's drought and a deep winter freeze have not helped the ash trees under attack by the EAB. 

The Town will be assessing the results of the injection program over the next year or so.

Most ash trees in West Newbury are on private property, and property owners can and should take steps to help save these ash trees.  Some brief tips are:

• It is important to have a professional assessment of your ash trees done as soon as possible.  Use a certified arborist to make this assessment, including the risks posed by dead or dying trees to persons and property.

• The biology and ecology of the EAB are such that lethal damage to ash trees can occur before clear evidence of the EAB can be observed externally.  The damage to tree health occurs under the outer bark in the cambium layer of the tree where EAB larvae spend 1-3 years feeding.   A professional arborist can help with determining the extent of damage and in making some judgments about the best future course of action.

• The most effective way currently to combat the EAB and to save healthy ash trees is to use trunk injection of a systemic pesticide, just like the town is doing for public roadway ash trees.   The trunk injection must be done by professional pesticide applicators and is the only fully recommended treatment method. 

• Soil drench and basal trunk spraying are potential treatment options in some circumstances and could conceivably be used by private individuals on their own property.  However, neither of these methods is as uniformly effective against the EAB as trunk injection and also have significant safety and environmental drawbacks, including risk to the surrounding environment and to the health of property owners untrained in pesticide use and application.  For these reasons, soil drench and basal trunk spraying are NOT recommended.

• A comprehensive 2022 report on ash trees and the threat posed by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is available on the Tree Committee website.  www.wnewbury.org/tree-committee

 For further questions, you can contact the West Newbury DPW or the Tree Committee (treecommittee@wnewbury.org)