Prevention vs Recovery
Emerald ash borer is an extremely invasive species, and the damage it can do in a small span of time is devastating. Not only does the pest cause destruction but it also travels easily and spreads fast.
Once an ash tree has become infested with EAB it can take one to two years to even notice the issue. Once the EAB have infested a tree its only a matter of time before rapid decay begins, making the likelihood of preventing damage without treatment impossible.
It is important to recognize the issue before it starts affecting a tree, because once decay begins it can be sudden and irreversible. Prevention is easier than recovery, being proactive can preserve the look and health of trees.
Waiting to treat trees until they show signs is risky and can lead to unwanted die back and rapid decline of a tree's health. Even after being treated, an infested tree can decline before it recovers so it is important to focus on preventing further infestation rather than cleaning up the mess it leaves. Waiting could also cause unnecessary expenses. If a tree is far into decline it may need more treatment than it would have if treated earlier, costing more money in the long run.
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If you don't protect your tree, you will lose it
Many homeowners mention how trees they thought were fine just a year ago, suddenly declined at a rapid rate over winter. The damage being done to ash trees may not appear until the next year, which means waiting longer to treet an ash tree makes it less likely to preserve and maintain growth.
To better prevent the infestation of EAB the earlier in the season it should be, after late May and early June the emerald ash borer begins to start doing damage to the trees. Although damage is being done injections can still stop any further damage if the action is taken.
With how widespread EAB is, most ash trees are at risk. Getting an ash tree injected will prevent the almost inevitable emerald ash borer infestation. Preventative treatment is a better option and could cost homeowners less while preserving the current state of their healthy trees.
Tree recovering from an EAB infestation, the growth it has is promising but the destruction caused by EAB does not disappear.