Emerald ash borer has been working its way through Maryland for a while now, and if you have an ash tree on your property, it's worth knowing what to look for. This pest targets ash trees specifically and can kill a mature tree within a few years of the first infestation.
The early signs are easy to miss: thinning at the top of the canopy, small D-shaped exit holes in the bark, and vertical splits where woodpeckers have been feeding on larvae underneath. By the time the damage is obvious from the ground, the tree is often already in serious decline.
An infected ash tree also becomes brittle fast, which makes removal more dangerous and more urgent the longer it's left standing. If you're not sure whether a tree on your property is an ash, that's the first question worth answering.
Do you know if any of the trees on your property are ash, or have you noticed woodpecker activity on a particular tree lately?
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A close-up photo of ash bark damage or D-shaped exit holes, or a technician assessing a tree on a Frederick-area property, will support this topic well.
Canva text suggestion: "Do You Have Ash Trees on Your Property?" or "Emerald Ash Borer Is Already Here"