Tree care tips · 4 min read
Emerald Ash Borer and Your Ash Trees: An Omaha Owner's Guide
Ash trees across the Omaha area have faced emerald ash borer for years. Know the warning signs and your options before the tree decides for you.
Why ash owners should pay attention
Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in the Omaha metro, and it is effectively a death sentence for an untreated ash tree once it's infested. Infested trees typically decline over just a few years and become brittle and hazardous as they die.
If you have an ash tree — look for compound leaves with 5 to 9 leaflets and bark with diamond-shaped ridges — it's worth knowing its status before symptoms show.
The warning signs
Thinning in the upper canopy is usually the first thing owners notice. As the infestation grows, you may see small D-shaped exit holes in the bark, vertical bark splits revealing tunneling underneath, and a jump in woodpecker activity working the trunk.
By the time a tree shows heavy canopy dieback, the window for treatment has often closed.
Treatment or removal
Healthy ash trees that are caught early can be protected with insecticide treatments — but those treatments must continue for the life of the tree to keep working. Heavily infested or declining trees usually need removal, and dead ash gets dangerous to climb quickly.
An honest on-site assessment tells you which path your tree is on. We'll give you a straight answer either way.
Get a professional ID
Not sure whether you have ash trees, or whether what you're seeing is borer damage, drought stress, or something else? Send a few details through the free estimate form or call 402-983-5937, and we'll come take a look.
Have a tree that needs a look?
Request a free estimate
Or call 402-983-5937 and talk it through with the crew.
Keep reading
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Tree trouble shouldn't wait.
For storm damage or an immediate hazard, call Grant's Tree Service.