Village of Cullom, Illinois

UPDATE: The Village has conducted an informal survey.  There appears to be approximately 120 Ash trees in Cullom, with approximately 80 on Village property.  They will need to be removed in the near future.  

 The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a beetle native to Asia, about the size of a grain of rice was first detected in Michigan in 2002 and has started to spread throughout the United States.

We do have EAB in Cullom.  Within a few years all Ash trees in the village will be dead or dying.  The village has developed a tree management program and all Ash trees on village property are on an established list to be removed and replaced with other species.

All sixteen native Ash species are susceptible to the EAB.  An Ash tree can be recognized by the compound leaves which are arranged opposite of one another on the branches.

Homeowners will have to consider their own options, to protect or replace the trees on their own property.  If you choose to protect them, the sooner you begin treating the tree with insecticides, the better.  You will need to treat the tree over its lifetime. The Morton Arboretum has a website with more information: mortonarb.org/plantadvice

Symptoms and Signs

Sometimes damage to the tree may not be apparent for up to three years of infestation.  The most obvious signs of an attack are dead limbs near the upper part of the tree. Woodpecker damage is sometimes apparent as they search for larvae and damage the bark of the trees.

The EAB eggs are laid between layers of bark.  When they hatch the larvae bore into the tree where they feed on the inner bark creating “S”-shaped tunnels called galleries.

Adults begin to emerge through “D”-shaped exit holes and will remain active until the end of summer.

Homeowners should check their trees for infestations.