Recent Developments
Summer, 2010 - Since EAB was first discovered in St. Charles on June 20, 2008, there have been approximately 1300 trees confirmed with Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Approximately 600 of those confirmed trees have been removed to date. We are monitoring EAB activity daily and reporting our findings monthly at the Government Services Meetings. We anticipate continued confirmations and removals throughout the Fall and Winter months. Residents with ash trees on their parkways will continue to receive information regarding EAB. Residents with confirmed EAB trees on their parkways will receive a letter indicating how the city will proceed and what options are available to the homeowner. The confirmed trees will be marked with a Purple Dot. If the confirmed tree is selected for removal and replacement, it will be marked with a Pink Dot and removed soon after.
About the Emerald Ash Borer
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) probably arrived in the United States on wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. It is an exotic beetle that was unknown in North America until June 2002, when it was discovered as the cause for the decline of many ash trees in southeast Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has since been found in Indiana, Ohio, Maryland and Illinois.
The Emerald Ash Borer is smaller than a penny and has already wreaked havoc on millions of ash trees in the Midwest. Nearly 20 million trees in Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, Maryland, and Indiana have fallen victim to this deadly pest. The EAB can easily fly more than 1/2 mile during its flight season and is difficult to identify until it has already done its damage.
Adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae, however, feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. The larvae emerge from infested trees as bugs the first part of June.
