Beetle Mania: Ash Borer Destroying New Lenox Trees

Neighbors on the south end of New Lenox gathered outside of their homes Tuesday morning and parted way with the countless ash trees lining their streets. 

The Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle that feeds on tree veins, is destroying ash trees throughout New Lenox as its population quickly spreads across North America. 

"It's heartbreaking," village trustee Ray Tuminello said. "You see the landscaping of your house decimated in 5 seconds after watching the trees grow for 15 years."

Tuminello's trees were infested, and so were his neighbors' on Grand Mesa. The trustee was out with New Lenox Public Works employees as they chopped down trees and grinded the stumps. 

New Lenox will remove a tree infested by the ash borer for no charge if it's in the parkway. The village budgeted $15,000 for the tree removal, but it will likely spend more than that because of the widespread problem. 

Residents who believe they have infested parkway trees may call at 815-462-6400 and Public Works employees will inspect the trees. Residents whose trees are removed will be first on the list for the village's 50/50 tree program, in which residents pay half of the cost for a tree and the village pays the remainder and manages the planting. 

Tuminello said ash trees won't be available, but others such as locusts or maples will be. In the past the cost to the resident has been about $75. 

Through May 14, the village removed 75 trees in New Lenox. Tuminello said about 30 more were set to go Tuesday, and that number will keep growing as more residents report infestation. 

What Caused the Spread? 

Experts believe the native Asian beetle species first was brought to the United States in ash wood used to transport cargo on ships near the turn of the millennium.

Tuminello said ash trees were a particularly popular species to plant along the roadways during New Lenox's housing boom, which could have also led to the bug's local prominence. 

How to Spot the Ash Borer

The bug itself is metallic green and about a 1/2-inch long. There will also be some signs of decay on your tree: 

• Dieback: Branches at the top of the tree will die and lose foilage. 
• Trunk suckers: New young branches will often sprout from the base of the tree as the older branches die. 
• Rotted layer: If you pull back the bark, part of the typically smooth layer will be rotted.
• Holes: The signature sign of an ash borer is the D-shaped hole it leaves in the bark. Also look for small holes caused by woodpeckers, which like to feed on the beetle. 
• Bark slits: The bark might split vertically from the damage. 

For more information, go to the Illinois Department of Agriculture website.

What to Do? 

Call the village at 815-462-6400 if an infested tree is in the parkway and you want it removed. If a tree is infested elsewhere on your property, you'll need to call another private service. The village uses Homer Tree Service. 

You can also treat your tree, but "you're fighting a losing battle," Tuminello said. 

You can inject the tree, but that costs anywhere from $150 to $300 and doesn't last much longer than a year. Public Works employee Nick Perez said removing the tree is typically the best option, and the cheapest. 

"At this point, there's nothing else we can do," Perez said. "The whole town is infested." 

Is this the end of ash trees?

—Patch editor Ron Kremer contributed to this story.