As you drive through Roseville, you’ll likely spot trees wrapped with a green banner. It’s part of the city’s effort to raise awareness of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive species that is killing ash trees.
EAB larvae are grub-like worms that kill ash trees by tunneling under the tree's bark. EAB larvae and pupae hide beneath ash tree bark and then escape as adult beetles. The City of Roseville is asking residents to take extra precautions when treating or removing ash trees.
Ash trees can be treated with insecticides but there is no guarantee that it will save the tree. If a tree is infested with EAB, insecticides will not save it and it will have to be removed.
Roseville residents are encouraged to contact Forestry Coordinator Anita Twaroski at 651-792-7142, visit www.cityofroseville.com/EAB, or talk with an arborist to identify whether a tree is infested, or what can be done to prevent an infestation. Twaroski can help property owners in Roseville to find resources to identify EAB and options to protect the trees.
It is best to remove ash trees between September and April because the adult EAB are no longer emerging. Logs, limbs, branches and brush from a tree must be disposed of properly. If you hire a tree care companies to trim or remove trees in Roseville, they must by licensed. A list of licensed tree contractors is available at www.cityofroseville.com/treeremoval.
Ramsey County is under an EAB quarantine so ash wood cannot be taken out of the county. To remain in compliance with the quarantine, some trash haulers in Roseville no longer collect tree waste as part of their service. Residents can hire a commercial tree or yard cleanup service to take tree waste to a Ramsey County yard waste site. Visit www.ramseyrecycles.com or call 651-633-EASY (3279) for the locations of Ramsey County brush sites that accept ash tree debris. This is a free service for Ramsey County residents.