EAB Infested Trees
Options for when your ash trees have become infested with EAB.
Silvicultural Recommendations for Ash
- Emerald Ash Borer Planning Simulator (EAB-PLANS®) - Beta Version
This program was developed to assist decision-makers in managing ash trees in urban and community forests challenged by EAB. - EAB Cost Calculator
This version is driven by an EAB invasion wave model that lets you modify your treatment strategy after the initial wave of EAB has passed. It can produce estimates of forests that contain up to 4,000 ash trees. - Factors affecting the survival of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees infested by emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
2012 - Kathleen S. Knight, John P. Brown and Robert P. Long - The article is on the survival analysis of ash trees in Ohio. According to Kathleen Knight, the main take-home message was that ash trees actually died slightly faster in stands with lower densities of ash, the opposite of what the authors thought would happen. This is just the speed of mortality, not the % mortality (almost all the ash trees die eventually no matter what). - Ash Management Guidelines for Private Forest Landowners
University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Chosen for a 2012 Notable Documents Award from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) for public policy, recognizing the publication as innovative in providing substantive information on contemporary issues of interest. - Ash Silvicultural Prescription Handout
Michigan DNR - 2011 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant - As the emerald ash borer (EAB) outbreak spreads through various Michigan Counties, landowners are advised to prepare by working with forestry professionals to obtain a forest management plan that prescribes harvest practices designed to reduce but not eliminate the ash component of their upland hardwood stands. - Ash Management: Emerald Ash Borer
2012 - Michigan DNR - Forest Resources Division - As stewards of Michigan's ash resources, a goal is to reduce the vulnerability of our forest resources to the emerald ash borer (EAB). The goal is not to eliminate ash from the forest, but to create a more diverse forest resource that is resistant to catastrophic changes affecting a single species or genera. Generally, the recommendation is to reduce the ash component of forest stands to a maximum10% of total stand basal area, and to promote tree species diversity. Vigorous pole size and smaller ash should be targeted for retention. Removing one large ash has a much greater effect on reducing EAB population potential than does removing many saplings or a few pole size trees. The objective is to create a stand that will maintain a minimum or greater basal area, in the event that all ash is eventually lost to EAB.
Removal Information
- Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Potential Side Effects of EAB Insecticides
February 2011 - Research and Extension Specialists from Michigan State University, the Ohio State University OARDC and Extension, and University of Minnesota Extension have put together a comprehensive publication that addresses questions and concerns regarding insecticide use to control emerald ash borer. - Coalition for Urban Ash Tree Conservation - EAB Management Statement
English| French
January 2011 -This document is an endorsement for ash tree conservation as part of integrated approach to managing emerald ash borer in urban areas, and is supported by university scientists with expertise in EAB management, commercial arborists, municipal foresters, public works officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Replacement Information
General Information
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Minnesota GreenStep Cities -- Urban Forests and Soils
Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. This free continuous improvement program, managed by a public-private partnership, is based upon 29 best practices. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more actions at a 1, 2 or 3-star level, from a list of four to eight actions. These actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation. This link outlines the Urban Forestry initiative part of the program.
- My Ash Tree is Dead... Now What Do I Do?
March 2007 - Tips outlined to utilize the wood from the dead and dying trees in homeowner's yards.
Michigan
- Alternative Tree Species Selection
This guide gives suggestions for species that should be considered in situations where a homeowner, landscape, or urban forester may have planted an ash in the past in Michigan's lower peninsula
Colorado
- Colorado Tree Coalition
The Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture, Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association, Colorado Tree Coalition and Colorado State University Extension have compiled a Front Range Tree Recommendation List to help choose the right tree for specific areas.
Indiana
Illinois
- Tree Species Options for Illinois/Michigan - Illinois Dept. of Agriculture
- Replacement options for Ash trees - Chicago Botanic Garden
Minnesota
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Minnesota GreenStep Cities -- Urban Forests and Soils
Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. This free continuous improvement program, managed by a public-private partnership, is based upon 29 best practices. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more actions at a 1, 2 or 3-star level, from a list of four to eight actions. These actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation. This link outlines the Urban Forestry initiative part of the program.
- Reforestation options for EAB - City of Minnetonka Natural Resources Division
Nebraska
- ReTree for Nebraska's "Good Trees for the Good Life"
To promote species diversity, ReTree Nebraska has chosen a select group of preferred species that perform well in Nebraska but aren't widely planted. ReTree Nebraska's Good Trees for the Good Life helps individuals choose the right tree for their landscape while improving the species diversity and vitality of Nebraska's community forests.
Ohio
- Ash Replacements for Urban and Woodland Plantings
2005 - OSU Ash Alert - In developing this guide for selecting tree species to use to replace ash, it was assumed that, if not for emerald ash borer, one or more of the ash species would be suitable for the planting. Tree species included in this guide, therefore, are generally of the same size as ash and grow well on sites suitable for one or more of the native ash species. You will not, for example, find tree species in this guide that grow to a maximum height of 25 feet and which would be suitable for planting under utility power lines, as ash would not be an appropriate tree for such a planting.
Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Alternatives to Ash Trees
For information on alternatives to ash trees see the two links below (courtesy of Dr. Laura G. Jull, UW-Madison Dept. of Horticulture):
Treatment Information

March 2019 -- Protection of green ash trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) from the emerald ash borer by soil applications of neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, clothianidin, and dinotefuran) was tested at five locations between 2005 and 2013. Application rate and spring versus fall application dates were evaluated in tests with neighborhood street trees and in one plantation of 65 ash trees.

March 2018 -- Combating EAB includes the use of insecticides; however, reported insecticide efficacy varies among published studies. This study assessed the effects of season of application, insecticide active ingredient, and insecticide application rate on green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) (Lamiales: Oleaceae) canopy decline caused by EAB over a 5- to 7-yr interval.
- Emerald Ash Borer Control
- From the Michigan State University Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.
View original story »
© 2011, Great Lakes Echo, Michigan State University Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. Republish under these guidelines. Reporting supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
- Emerald Ash Borer Management Options (Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, 2017)
This publication explains what works best as preventive treatments for healthy ash trees planted along streets or in yards or parks. - Managing Emerald Ash Borer: Decision Guide
2016 - A step-by-step guide to help you manage your ash trees. - Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer
April 2019 - The most current, up-to-date information and research on if, when, and how to treat ash trees is available in this bulletin. - EAB Insecticides: Label Guidance for Use Limits
February 2012 - From the Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Some insecticides used to control emerald ash borer (EAB) have annual per acre use limits. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) offers this label guidance to help applicators and others comply with label directions, meet tree treatment objectives, and minimize environmental impacts. The MDA completed a special registration review of EAB insecticides in 2011. The review concluded that insecticides commonly used to control EAB are not likely to harm human health or the environment when used according to label directions. - Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Potential Side Effects of EAB Insecticides
February 2011 - Research and Extension Specialists from Michigan State University, the Ohio State University OARDC and Extension, and University of Minnesota Extension have put together a comprehensive publication that addresses questions and concerns regarding insecticide use to control emerald ash borer. - Coalition for Urban Ash Tree Conservation - EAB Management Statement
English| French
January 2011 -This document is an endorsement for ash tree conservation as part of integrated approach to managing emerald ash borer in urban areas, and is supported by university scientists with expertise in EAB management, commercial arborists, municipal foresters, public works officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
- Ash canopy thinning and dieback photo illustration
September 2007 - Effectively treating EAB-infested ash trees can be tricky. Many people are unaware of the degree of infestation their ash tree(s) may have, so Dave Smitley, Michigan State University entomologist, has created this guide that explains the stages of ash canopy thinning and dieback. These stages may help the homeowner determine if it is worth the effort to try to save the tree, or if it may be best to take it down.
The following contain useful information for professionals:
- Tools for Staging and Managing Emerald Ash Borer in the Urban Forest
(Purdue University, 2017)
In this study, researchers develop a model for predicting ash mortality over an eight-year period, and validated with data from the removal of >14,000 ash trees killed by EAB in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. It was determined that strategies that most heavily relied on saving ash trees were less expensive and produced a larger forest than those strategies that mostly removed and replaced ash trees. Ratios of total discounted costs to discounted cumulative benefits of strategies that saved most ash trees were over two-thirds lower than strategies of proactive tree removal and replacement. Delaying implementation of an ash management program until damage would be visible and more obvious to the community (Year 5 of the model) decreased the cost–benefit ratio by < 5%. - "Slow Ash Mortality" – SLAM Pilot Project
Description: The SLAM project is a collaborative effort involving Michigan State University, the USDA Forest Service, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Michigan Technological University (MTU), the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (MDNR), and Michigan Conservation Districts in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The goal of the SL.A.M. pilot project in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is to delay and slow the expansion of ash mortality by reducing populations of the beetle in newly-infested sites, outside of known EAB infestations.
EAB Research and Technology Development Proceedings
- Research abstracts and other information addressing the EAB problem in North America.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Since the emerald ash borer's discovery in 2002, research has been ongoing to develop tools to control and eliminate this pest. Currently, there are a number of treatments available for use by homeowners or tree care professionals that can provide a varying degree of beetle control. A review of all options is recommended. As more methods are developed, more information will be available. References to commercial products or trade names do not imply endorsement by the entities supplying the information, or bias against those not mentioned. Reprinting of any material on this site cannot be used to endorse or advertise a commercial product or company.
AshSeed
In response to extensive tree mortality by the EAB, ash seeds are being collected for long term storage to preserve genetic resources of the ash species. This has been a combined effort of the Agricultural Research Service and the Forest Service along with NRCS, BLM, and over 50 cooperators.
