Emerald Ash Borer in Southeast Michigan — What Homeowners Need to Know

If you have ash trees on your property in Southeast Michigan, there is a good chance you have already lost one. Or you are about to.

Emerald ash borer has been quietly killing ash trees across this region for over two decades. The pattern we see at Momentum Tree Experts is always the same. A homeowner notices something looks off with their ash tree, calls us out, and we have to deliver hard news. By the time the symptoms are visible enough to catch your attention, the tree is often already 30 to 50 percent dead on the inside. That is not a scare tactic. That is just how this pest works.

Here is what you actually need to know.

What Is Emerald Ash Borer?

Emerald ash borer is a small, metallic green beetle that originated in Asia. It was first confirmed in Michigan in 2002, and Southeast Michigan has been ground zero ever since. Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Wayne County — all hit hard.

The damage is not done by the adult beetle. It is done by the larvae. They bore into the layer just beneath the bark and feed on the tissue that carries water and nutrients up the tree. Those feeding tunnels essentially strangle the tree from the inside. By the time the canopy shows stress, the vascular system is already badly compromised.

EAB attacks all native ash species. Green ash, white ash, black ash — these make up a huge portion of the street trees and yard trees across Novi and the surrounding communities.

Signs Your Ash Tree May Be Infested

Here is what to look for:

Canopy dieback starting at the top. EAB kills the upper crown first. If the top third of your ash is thinning out or losing leaves, that is a serious warning sign.

Epicormic shoots along the trunk. When a tree starts pushing out desperate little shoots from the trunk and lower branches, it is under severe stress. It is not recovering. It is responding.

S-shaped galleries under the bark. If you peel back a section of bark and find winding tunnels packed with sawdust-like material, EAB larvae have been there.

D-shaped exit holes. Adult beetles exit through small, D-shaped holes about one-eighth of an inch wide. They are easy to miss but definitive proof.

Woodpecker activity. Heavy woodpecker damage on an ash tree, especially where the outer bark has been stripped away in patches, almost always means woodpeckers are feeding on EAB larvae underneath.

Vertical bark splits. Cracks running up the trunk can signal that the tree is reacting to activity beneath the bark.

If you are seeing more than one of these signs, call an ISA Certified Arborist. Do not wait.

Can the Tree Be Saved?

That is the question we get most often, and the honest answer is: it depends on how far along the infestation is.

Trees that are less than 30 to 40 percent infested can sometimes be treated successfully. The most proven options include trunk injections of emamectin benzoate, sold under the name TREE-äge. These go directly into the vascular system and are highly effective when applied before the infestation is severe. Treatments generally last about two years.

Soil drenches with imidacloprid are another option. They are taken up through the roots. Less effective on heavily infested trees, but a solid preventive choice for healthy ones.

Azadirachtin injections are an organic alternative with moderate effectiveness. Best used as part of a preventive program rather than as a rescue treatment.

At Momentum Tree Experts we take a preservation-first approach. But we are also honest. If a tree is already 50 percent or more in decline, treatment is unlikely to save it. It will delay the inevitable and cost you money in the process. In those cases, we recommend removal and replacement with a non-ash species before the tree becomes a safety hazard.

What About a Healthy Ash You Want to Keep?

If you have a large, structurally sound ash tree with no signs of infestation yet, preventive treatment is absolutely worth it. This is especially true in Novi, Northville, Wixom, Farmington Hills and the surrounding areas where EAB pressure is still significant.

Mounir recommends a proactive assessment for any ash over eight inches in diameter that you want to keep. The cost of preventive injections every two years is a fraction of what removal and stump grinding will run you. And a mature ash tree provides decades of shade, property value and environmental benefit that cannot be replaced overnight.

What to Do If You Suspect EAB

Do not panic, but do not wait either. Early action is everything with this pest.

Call an ISA Certified Arborist, not a general landscaper. Accurate diagnosis requires someone who knows what they are looking at.

Get an honest assessment. At Momentum Tree Experts, we will tell you plainly whether treatment makes sense or whether the tree is past the point of return.

If removal is the answer, plan ahead. EAB-killed ash trees deteriorate fast and become dangerous. A tree that is manageable today can become a crane job in two years.

If you have ash trees in the Novi area or anywhere in Southeast Michigan, give us a call at 248-221-2710 or request a free estimate online. Mounir Fahim, our ISA Certified Arborist, will give you a straight answer on what your trees actually need.