A truck injection. Photo from the Arborjet website.
The insatiable emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that is death to ash trees, has already been spotted in parts of the Catskills, including Kingston, Saugerties, and locations in Greene County. While some have suggested harvesting all the ash trees in the state before they are destroyed, a story in the Berkshire Eagle describes another, slightly less destructive solution: something called "trunk injection."
I have been in contact with representatives of Arborjet, a company that has developed a trunk injection system to fight EAB. With this system small doses of pesticides are injected directly into the tree's transport tissues, thus enabling distribution within the tree while limiting the impact to the environment ... They claim that it can stop damage even if the tree is under attack without harming the surrounding environment. However, it may be too late if more than 50 percent of the canopy is dead. The cost of tree injection for homeowners can range from $70-150, depending on several variables, including tree size and how many trees a homeowner is treating at once. This is considerably less than removing and replacing the same trees.
According to Arborjet's website, its trunk injection is approved in New York State. Whether it might be a viable weapon in the fight against the Green Borer of Doom is a question to ask an expert.
Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.orgLuckily, Emerald Ash Borer experts are coming to Oneonta on March 5 for a workshop sponsored by the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership, an organization affiliated with the best acronym ever (CRISP) that is affiliated with the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. Here's the info on the workshop, from a CCCD press release:
Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness Workshop
February 11, 2011- Landowners are invited to attend a workshop on Saturday, March 5th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Morris Conference Center at SUNY College at Oneonta located at 1 Ravine Parkway in Oneonta, to learn how to prepare for the eminent threat of the emerald ash borer (EAB); a beetle that has the potential to kill every ash tree in the state.
The Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) is sponsoring this opportunity to learn about what to do to prepare for this devastating beetle. Participants will find out how to identify signs and symptoms of EAB infestation with a field demonstration. They will get to talk with foresters from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the Catskill Forest Association about what they can do to make sure they are able to get the most out of their ash tree stands. An expert from NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets will describe the regulatory aspects of this infestation. Participants will also learn about a technique that will allow them to detect the arrival of EAB right away.
EAB has already been discovered in several areas in Greene and Ulster County and will spread rapidly. Know your options and begin preparing with the information provided at this workshop.
Pre-registration is greatly appreciated and lunch will be provided. For more information please e-mail Meredith Taylor at mtaylor@catskillcenter.org or call 845-586-2611.
