Nemesis to Emerald Ash Borer To Be Released in Sioux Falls

With the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer in Sioux Falls, many landowners are looking at their majestic Ash trees wondering what can be done to save them.  Enter the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, unleashing the enemy of the Borer.

Wasps, a known enemy of the Emerald Ash Borer, will be released in the area of the detected trees in Sioux Falls.  As a wasp detects the Borer, it lays eggs inside the borer, which will effectively kill it when the eggs hatch.  You may have to put up with more wasps for awhile, but your trees could have a fighting chance.

Although the wasp release can be an effective deterrent to the borer, a sure way to save your tree is to contact a local arborist.  Mature trees that are large in diameter could cost up to $300 for a series of annual treatments to save your tree.

While younger trees can respond to a solution poured at the base of the tree, the larger older Ash trees will need a direct injection to prove effective.

What are the options outside of the treatment?  Wait and see if your tree is among the estimated 80,000 trees in the region expected to be affected and if it is, cut it down.  This may be a reasonable approach for older trees that are at the end of the their life cycle.  One of the indicators that a tree is nearing the end of its life span includes bark that is randomly loose and falling off near the base, along with branches and limbs that are dead.

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