By Anna Prior
The Summer Northwestern
The ash tree-destroying insect called the Emerald Ash Borer, which caused problems in Kane County in June and was recently identified in Wilmette, has made its way to Evanston.
One of the city’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation employees discovered the beetle in seven of Lovelace Park’s ash trees on July 21 while surveying the area after the Wilmette infestation.
Another infected tree was identified on private property on the east side of Gross Point Road at Thayer Street, across the street from Lovelace Park in northwest Evanston.
“We knew this was coming because we were watching two or three years ago when it started in Michigan,” said City Parks, Forestry and Recreation Director Doug Gaynor. “It’s unfortunate, but this is the circle of life. We are going to deal with the challenge and come up with the best solution possible to protect our trees.”
There are about 4,000 ash trees in public parts of Evanston, but the total number including ash trees on private property is not known. The Emerald Ash Borer infects ash trees from the top down.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, Gaynor announced one possible plan to combat this insect: cutting down all ash trees within a half to a one-and-a-half mile radius of the infestation’s epicenter.
The Emerald Ash Borer, which is native to Asia, travels at about the rate of a half-mile per year, Gaynor said. Cutting down all infected and healthy trees within that half-mile area could potentially halt the spread of beetle by depriving it of a food source.
This method was used successfully in Ravenswood several years ago to combat the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle.
But the Asian longhorned beetle is a large and slow moving bug, whereas the Emerald Ash Borer is smaller and very quick, Gaynor said.
No decision has been made as to whether or not the tree-cutting method will be implemented, Gaynor said.
There are no chemicals that are effective in halting the spread of infestation that the city is aware of at this time, he said.
City and park officials are now conducting an intense survey of trees in Lovelace Park and the surrounding area to assess the extent of the infestation and identify the most badly damaged areas.
Plans are also in the works for public clinics and meetings to educate Evanston residents about the Emerald Ash Borer and what the city is doing to stop the insect, but no specific dates have been set, Gaynor said.
It is difficult to identify infected trees, but there are general symptoms. If a tree begins to lose its leaves when it shouldn’t or if a woodpecker seems to be preoccupied with a certain tree, a beetle could have infected the tree, Gaynor said.
The beetles also leave tiny exit holes in the trunk of the ash trees, he said.
If residents believe that a tree might be infected, they should contact the city’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation division immediately. Residents should not attempt to remove the tree on their own because this could potentially worsen the spread of the infestation, Gaynor said.
Reach Anna Prior at [email protected].
