Ash Tree Removal & Treatment in Fort Wayne, IN

Ash tree removal and treatment are two answers to the same problem: emerald ash borer, which has been killing ash in northeast Indiana for about twenty years. Purdue Extension reports the borer was first detected in Indiana in 2004, and Fort Wayne was officially infested in 2006. The city lost about 13,000 of its 14,000 ash street trees by 2014, and similar losses hit yards, woodlots and fence rows. Pro Tree Service Fort Wayne removes dead and dying ash and helps homeowners decide whether a healthy ash is worth treating.

The borer is still here

It is tempting to think the problem has passed. Purdue's Landscape Report says otherwise: ash saplings and the occasional surviving tree keep the beetle population going, and it expects emerald ash borer to stay. Any untreated ash you still have, large or small, remains at risk, and trees that were treated in the past need to keep being treated.

Signs an ash is in trouble

• Thinning leaves and dead branches at the top of the crown
• Woodpeckers stripping bark, leaving pale patches on the trunk
• Vertical bark splits with S-shaped tunnels underneath
• Small D-shaped exit holes in the bark
• A burst of sprouts low on the trunk or from the roots

When treatment makes sense

Purdue's guidance is that trunk injection with emamectin benzoate every three years is enough to keep ash alive, that waiting longer raises the risk of losing the tree, and that spring treatment works better than fall. Treatment fits a healthy or lightly damaged ash that you value, especially a large one shading the house. A tree that has lost much of its crown is usually past saving. Purdue's example: injecting a 30-inch ash costs roughly $300 per three-year cycle, while removing a tree that size can run $1,800, or about $3,600 near structures. Pesticide treatment is regulated in Indiana by the Office of Indiana State Chemist and is done by a properly licensed applicator.

Why dead ash should not wait

Purdue warns that dead ash become very brittle, can drop branches or fall without warning, and are harder to remove than live trees. Dry wood breaks unpredictably when cut and rigged, which can limit whether a climber can safely work in it and push the job toward a lift or a different approach. A dead ash over a house, driveway or play area should be scheduled soon.

Ash wood after removal

Purdue's simplest advice on ash borer is not to move firewood, since that is how it travels long distances. Wood from an ash removal is best burned at home or nearby, chipped, or hauled to a local yard waste site such as the Bio-Solids facility on Lake Avenue.