When you live in Winona, MN, it’s easy to find solace in the fact that a good old-fashioned Minnesota winter can kill just about any pest under the sun. When it comes to certain tree pests, like the prolific emerald ash borer, your trees might not be so lucky. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we’ve seen the type of damage that emerald ash borers can do, and unfortunately, they may still be able to cause that damage after winter melts away.
Emerald ash borers are a sturdy sort of tree pest. Their ability to burrow deep into the flesh of trees plus their hibernation cycle allows them to survive in your trees through the winter. Even worse, a tough winter could actually be bad news for your trees in the years to come. Similar to how antibiotics can lose effectiveness over time, a brutal winter will only kill the borers that cannot withstand severe temperatures, allowing the hardier bugs that survive to pass along those traits through breeding. Assuming that winter will take care of your tree pests without further investigation will not only potentially doom your trees but may in fact be dooming other trees down the line.
With this is mind, tree enthusiasts looking to prevent these stubborn pests may want to familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of an emerald ash borer infestation. Spotting these signs in fall and winter means keeping your eyes open for subtle indicators of poor health that may be difficult to discern during the summer months when there’s an abundance of foliage. Bark splitting, S-shapes under the bark of your trees, and increased woodpecker activity may all be signs of impending trouble.
If your trees are infested with emerald ash borers, they can die within two to four years unless interventive steps are taken. Infestations can spread from tree to tree and even through the transportation of firewood, which becomes all the more relevant during the cold winter months.
If you’re concerned your Winona, MN, trees are showing signs of an emerald ash borer infestation, have them inspected immediately by our tree pest professionals. Call Maier Tree and Lawn at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website for more information on tree pests and how to fight back against the dreaded emerald ash borer.
