A Step-by-Step Check Any Homeowner Can Do This Weekend
Emerald ash borer is killing ash trees across the southwest Twin Cities metro, and the earlier you catch it, the more options you have. Here’s how to inspect your own tree, step by step, from the certified experts at Natures Touch Tree Care & Landscaping.
Step 1: Confirm It’s Actually an Ash
EAB only attacks ash trees. Ash have three giveaways:
- Opposite branching — Branches and buds grow directly across from each other in pairs
- Compound leaves — Each leaf is made of 5 to 11 leaflets along a central stem
- Diamond-patterned bark — Mature ash bark forms tight, diamond-shaped ridges
Mountain ash, despite the name, isn’t a true ash and isn’t at risk.
Step 2: Look Up at the Canopy
EAB damage starts at the top. Compare your tree’s upper crown to lower branches — if the top third looks thin, sparse, or dead while the bottom looks fine, that’s a classic early sign.
Step 3: Check for Woodpecker Flecking
Woodpeckers love EAB larvae. Heavy woodpecker activity — patches of bark picked away, leaving lighter “flecked” areas, often high on the trunk — frequently shows up before any other visible sign. Winter is actually a great time to spot this.
Step 4: Hunt for D-Shaped Exit Holes
Adult beetles leave a hole shaped like a capital D, about 1/8 inch wide, flat on one side. They’re small and easy to miss, so check at eye level on the trunk and any large limbs you can see closely.
Step 5: Look for Bark Splits and Sprouting
Vertical bark cracks may reveal winding, S-shaped larval tunnels underneath — that’s confirmation. Also watch for clusters of new shoots sprouting from the trunk or the base of the tree, which is the tree’s emergency response to the attack.
What to Do If You See These Signs
Don’t wait. EAB-infested ash decline fast, and the wood becomes brittle and dangerous within a couple of years.
- Early signs, healthy canopy: The tree may be a candidate for protective treatment
- Canopy one-third gone or more: Removal is usually the smarter investment
- Tree already dead: Schedule removal promptly — dead ash gets more hazardous every month
Get a Professional Confirmation
Several of these signs can have other causes, and the treat-or-remove decision is worth getting right. A certified expert can confirm EAB and lay out your real options.
Natures Touch Tree Care & Landscaping provides EAB assessments and removals throughout the southwest Twin Cities metro. Call 612-240-6355 — we’ll give you a straight answer about your ash.
