Wednesday, December 6, 2017
EMERALD ASH BORER CONTINUES TO INFLICT DAMAGE
Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "Conservation authority to cut down up to 14,000 ash trees in next decade to remove hazard to people". Obviously in a time when our planet and all its' inhabitants needs better air this is not a good thing. The article states that the beetle was first confirmed in 2010 in Waterloo Region. I would suggest that that is a little bit disingenuous. The emerald ash borer has been known to be in Ontario for two decades and certainly over in the Guelph area for at least fifteen to twenty years.
The hazard to people is caused by the complete mortality of all trees infected and the subsequent rotting of their roots and trunks. This makes them dangerous due to the likelihood of their prematurely crashing to the ground. The beetle was introduced to Canada courtesy of wooden shipping crates sent here from China. Thank you very much China for that. I doubt that our esteemed Prime Minister is currently discussing that very expensive item with China during trade talks. I personally saw crates from China being inspected by federal authorities over near Guelph approximately nineteen years ago.
I've been meaning to ask Woolwich Township why a number of trees in our neighbourhood along Bristow Creek Drive here in Elmira were cut down this fall. The trees while not mature were at least several inches in diameter across their trunks and several years old. They appeared healthy. Perhaps a call this morning is warranted.
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The trees they cut down along Bristow Creek were DEAD.
ReplyDeleteReally? The stumps left in the ground even looked good although I must admit that I hadn't really paid much attention to them until after they were cut down.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Most of the bark had fallen off and little or no leaves on them this summer.
ReplyDeleteIt was a matter of time when it became a hazard to the public.
Fri. Dec.8/18 I just received a phone call from Mr. Baldasaro (Woolwich Township). He confirms that the trees were in bad shape and that the cause was the Emerald Ash Borer. Once infected Ash trees ahve a 100% mortality so it made sense to take them down sooner than later. He suggested that they had been there since the subdivision was built (approx. 20 years) so based on their small size I have to assume that Ash grow slowly.
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