Oakville 'declaring war' on emerald ash borer
Town declares Emerald ash borer awareness week against insect invader

Insidehalton.com
June 4, 2014
By Julia Le

The Town of Oakville is shining a spotlight on the emerald ash borer (EAB) to raise more awareness about the invasive species that is infesting a number of ash trees in the community.

Oakville has declared June 1-7 as Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week and is encouraging residents to learn more about the exotic beetle from Asia and the protective measures they can take to conserve Oakville’s tree canopy.

As part of recent Arbour Day celebrations, the Town launched a woodlands restoration project at Sheridan Valley Park. It saw more than 200 trees planted to enhance Oakville’s tree canopy and regenerate the woodlands affected by the insect.

“Oakville is leading the way in EAB management,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “We encourage residents to follow the Town’s lead to treat or remove ash trees and plant new trees. By taking a proactive approach, we can protect and enhance our tree canopy for future generations.”

EAB has been infesting millions of ash trees across Canada and the U.S. since its discovery in North America in 2002.

Information on the spread of the insect in Oakville is available on the Town’s website, oakville.ca. The webpage includes a map illustrating the current infestation levels in Oakville, which is high to extreme in many areas of the town.

“With 80 per cent of Oakville’s ash trees located on private property, it’s important for residents to make a decision now about the fate of their trees,” said John McNeil, the Town’s manager of Forestry Services.

“Untreated ash on private property are dead or dying and becoming structurally unsound. Doing nothing is not a solution and puts public safety and property at risk.”

McNeil is encouraging residents to consider the following recommendations:

• Residents who have already begun a treatment program should continue the prescribed schedule.
• esidents who are considering beginning a treatment program should check the map to see if they are within the ‘moderate’ infestation zone and have a qualified arborist assess if their trees qualify for treatment.
• Untreated ash trees in the ‘extreme’ and ‘high’ zones are likely too infested to be saved and should be removed now by a qualified arborist and replaced with a different species.
• Residents without ash trees can also be part of the solution by planting new trees on their property to help conserve the town’s tree canopy.

The Town is using the bio-insecticide TreeAzin to treat municipal ash trees. Treatment is most effective when it’s timed with the emergence of the adult beetles, which is early June in Oakville, and can be administered through the end of August.

The Town will continue its treatment of 75 per cent of the public ash tree canopy on streets and in parks this summer.

For some trees, this will be the fourth treatment since Oakville first launched its EAB management strategy in 2008.

Municipal ash trees that did not qualify for treatment are being monitored by the town and will be removed from streets, parks and woodlands over the coming years to ensure public safety.