Emerald Ash Borer found within interior Cedar Rapids 

While Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was positively identified at the IDOT rest area along I-380 almost two years ago, the insect had not been seen within the interior core of Cedar Rapids. This week, a tree with EAB was found and removed on the southwest side.

The EAB is an exotic beetle whose larvae embeds and destroys the inner bark of ash trees. Cedar Rapids has 10,000 public ash trees in addition to those on private property. Unlike other trees like oak or elm, which remain relatively stable after they die, ash trees lose moisture internally very quickly and begin to fall apart soon after they die creating public nuisance or hazard situations.

The City has been proactive in preparing for EAB since the beetle’s arrival in the U.S. in 2002. In 2016, City Council prioritized preparation efforts by funding a tree inventory that provided detailed information about the species, location and condition of all street trees. The inventory has aided the Parks and Recreation Department’s Forestry division in identifying declining ash trees and removing more than 2,000 of them to reduce the impact of the disease. Remaining ash trees, especially in areas with high concentrations, have been routinely inspected as part of the City’s management plan to determine potential hazards.

As further preparation, the City stopped planting ash trees and increased the diversity of trees planted to a minimum of 25 to 30 different species. The diversification will sustain the canopy even if a large number of ash trees are lost. If all public ash trees were damaged by infestation, the City would still retain more than 80 percent of the tree canopy.

Other than parkway trees, homeowners are responsible for ash trees on their own personal property. They have the option of keeping their parkway ash tree, unless it has health or structural concerns. Contact the City Arborist at 319-286-5747 with concerns about parkway trees.

Homeowners can also treat their ash trees on private property, but it requires continual treatment for the life of the tree, and may not guarantee a tree’s survival. Trees with storm damage or other safety concerns will need to be removed, regardless of treatment.

Signs of an infested tree may include dead branches near the top of a tree, leafy shoots sprouting from the trunk, bark splits exposing larval galleries, extensive woodpecker activity, and D-shaped exit holes.

Answers to frequently asked questions and options for homeowners are provided on the City’s website at cedar-rapids.org/EAB. Additional resources for information about Emerald Ash Borer are:

• The Emerald Ash Borer Information website is: http://www.emeraldAshborer.info
• The Department of Natural Resources: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/Forestry/ForestHealth/EmeraldAshBorer.aspx
• The Iowa State University Extension Service website is: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/pme/EmeraldAshBorer.html