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Emerald Ash Borer Treatment in Colorado

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a common enemy of Colorado gardeners and homeowners. These invasive insects may have an impressive metallic green sheen, but they devastate trees from the inside out, costing property owners a fortune in tree removal and replacement.

What Is The Emerald Ash Borer?

Emerald Ash Borers are small insects that came to the U.S. from Asia, first detected in the country in 2002. While EABs were first seen in Colorado in 2013, we do not know how long they were present before then. They have been positively identified in Larimer and Weld County, but the extent of their presence in Northern Colorado is still largely unknown.

And you don’t want to be the one to find Emerald Ash Borers in your area. These tiny green beetles lay their eggs inside ash trees, and their larvae can cause colossal damage by tunneling into the layers of a tree, inhibiting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients.

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Emerald Ash Borer Prevention in Northern Colorado

Since their discovery in the U.S., Emerald Ash Borers have killed more than 50 million trees. It only takes around 10 years for an Emerald Ash Borer infestation to take down an entire forest. Prevention is key if you want to avoid tree removal and replacements that are far more expensive than preventative treatment. A lot of over-the-counter products for EABs are only 15% effective when performed precisely and perfectly, so professional treatment is strongly recommended.

At American Tree & Turf Care, we know EAB treatment is critical. If a tree is important to you and your landscape, we’re ready to treat it so that Emerald Ash Borers don’t stand a chance. 

Our EAB prevention program is part of our tree care package and includes:

  • A free estimate from one of our highly-qualified technicians.
  • A trunk injection of Emamectin Benzoate for maximum coverage.
  • Protection that lasts for two growing seasons, at which point we reapply.
  • A nearly 90% success rate according to national field trials.

You can’t wait until EAB are already a problem to protect your trees! Our team of experienced emerald ash borer experts is ready to take a proactive approach to save your landscape.

Get Your Free Quote for Emerald Ash Borer Treatment

Signs of Emerald Ash Borers

Think you might already have an Emerald Ash Borer infestation? We can help identify the extent of the damage. You may notice:

  • Visible metallic-green insects on a warm, sunny day
  • Bark splitting
  • D-shaped exit holes
  • Increased woodpecker activity
  • Zig-zag galleries underneath bark
  • Dead branches & thinning tree crowns
  • Water sprouts or shoots growing from tree trunks

Learn more about EAB beetle damage and identification.

Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Options

Emerald Ash Borers are extremely invasive and can spread very quickly—in fact, a female EAB beetle can lay its eggs anywhere from 100 yards to 2-3 miles from its home tree. So if you notice any warning signs of a beetle infestation, consider one of the following application methods:

Trunk Injection

Trunk injection is one of the most effective EAB treatments that always requires professional help, and the one that our experts recommend the most. The insecticide is injected directly into the tree bark and can kill EABs in multiple stages of life, including both larvae and young adults. Trunk injection also offers lasting protection, usually around two years. It can be applied at almost any time of the year since it does not require optimum weather conditions to work.

Bark Spray

Bark spray is most effective for trees that are still healthy enough to transport water, though sometimes added ingredients can help the insecticide disperse. A formula containing the active ingredient Dinotefuran is sprayed on the lower trunk and then gets systematically infused throughout the tree. This is one of the quickest and simplest treatments available.

Soil Injection

Soil injections are applied directly to the soil around the base of tree trunks. These require more specialized equipment than a spray but also work best under very specific soil and weather conditions. There may also be regulations regarding how much insecticide can be injected into the soil in a given area.

Remove & Replace

Sometimes, a tree is just too far gone to respond well to EAB treatment, or the effort of removing and replacing a tree outweighs the cost of treatment. However, infested trees must be replaced with species approved by your city, and removal and replacement can become a significant time investment. A professional can help you determine what the best course of care is for your trees.

Canopy Sprays

Canopy sprays are applied to foliage, and are more useful to control and kill adult borers, but not the tree-destroying larvae. It's important to note that with canopy sprays, it is physically impossible to ensure you are covering 100% of the tree, so this treatment method is not usually recommended. Canopy sprays can be effective to curb the spread of EABs around the neighborhood, and if chosen, they have to be very carefully timed and require multiple applications.

DIY Treatment Options

While some people may be tempted by DIY treatments of ash trees in order to save money, you will lose money in the long run. DIY treatments are NOT effective, as they require the proper timing and dosage for the trees in question that only experts know—in the long run, you will still have to hire a professional for emerald ash borer treatment. Any over-the-counter insecticide products don’t contain a high enough concentration of the ingredients required to save your trees, so you could be spending time and money on treatments that, according to research, aren’t powerful enough to combat an EAB infestation.

Call American Turf & Tree Care

At American Turf & Tree Care, we use powerful trunk injections that are proven to eliminate EABs and last up to two years, so that you don’t have to worry about recurring sprays. When you call us for EAB control, our expert technicians can inspect and determine the extent of EAB damage so that we can advise on the best way forward to protect the landscape you love. Call us immediately when you notice EAB-infested ash trees or fill out our contact form if you are interested in taking a proactive approach to protecting your healthy trees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Emerald Ash Borer treatment required by law in Colorado?

No — the Colorado Department of Agriculture repealed its EAB quarantine restrictions in 2019 after the pest was found spreading beyond the original quarantine zone, so treatment isn't legally mandated statewide. Some individual cities or HOAs may still have their own ash tree requirements, so it's worth checking local rules if you're in an HOA community. Even without a legal requirement, treatment is still the most cost-effective way to protect an ash tree, since removal typically costs far more than ongoing treatment.

How do I know if I even have an ash tree that's at risk?

Ash trees have compound leaves with five to nine leaflets arranged opposite each other on the branch, along with diamond-patterned bark on mature trees — key features that separate them from similar-looking species like elm or maple. If you're not sure, a photo of the leaves, bark, and overall shape can help a technician confirm the species during a free inspection. Only true ash trees (genus Fraxinus) are at risk from Emerald Ash Borer, so correct identification matters before investing in treatment.

What time of year should Emerald Ash Borer treatment happen?

Spring, before adult beetles emerge, is generally the best window for EAB trunk injection, giving the insecticide time to move through the tree before peak feeding season. Trunk injection can technically be applied at other times of year, but starting in spring gives ash trees the strongest head start on protection. Waiting until beetles are already active reduces how much damage the treatment can prevent.

Does trunk injection hurt the tree?

Trunk injection creates a small, targeted wound, but it's designed to heal quickly and cause far less stress than an untreated infestation. Licensed applicators use proper injection technique to minimize damage to the tree's vascular tissue. Left untreated, EAB larvae tunnel through that same tissue and can kill the tree within a few years, which is far more damaging than the injection itself.

Can Emerald Ash Borer treatment save a tree that's already infested?

It depends on how much of the canopy has already declined — ash trees with less than 30% canopy loss generally respond well to treatment, while trees with more extensive dieback have a much lower survival rate even with trunk injection. This is why catching an infestation early, before major canopy loss, makes such a big difference in outcome. An arborist can assess canopy health to determine if treatment is still worthwhile.

Areas We Service

Our lawn care experts know exactly what it takes to care for your landscape. Our team has been proudly serving our neighbors in Northern Colorado since 1982. Not sure if we service your neighborhood? Check out the map or give us a call!

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