Nashville is home to native ash trees, and while they are beautiful, they are susceptible to the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive pest responsible for widespread tree mortality across Middle Tennessee.
Practicing the below habits will help you properly manage an infestation, saving you maintenance costs in the long run.
Treat Your Tree
Injection treatments are most effective, and must be applied by a professional every two years for the duration of the tree’s life. Depending on the specific chemical used, soil drenches, bark sprays and insecticide treatments should be applied annually by the homeowner or may require professional application. When applied before infestation, insecticides help build resistance. However, once there is more than 30% dieback of the crown, treatment may not be effective. If this is your management option, you should start now, as the trees are coming out of winter dormancy and will actively take up chemical treatments.
Let it Die
If the tree is in the woods or an open area where its fall would not cause hazards or property damage, you can let it die naturally in place and decompose.
Remove it
You can be proactive and have your tree cut down before it dies. If it is not accessible by a bucket truck, then it needs to be cut down before it becomes too brittle to climb.
Our goal is to ensure trees do not interfere with electrical equipment because unmanaged vegetation growth increases risk to human health and significantly increases the frequency of outages and the duration of restoration efforts.
Customers are encouraged to call our Tree Trimming Hotline at 615-695-7400 for all vegetation-related questions. Customers can also visit trees.nashville.gov for more information on how to address concerns regarding the Emerald Ash Borer.
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