Ash Tree (EAB) Removal · Kitchener
Ash Tree Removal in Kitchener
The emerald ash borer arrived in Waterloo Region at Homer Watson and the 401 and worked outward. Kitchener is well past the stage of saving most ash; what is left is a city of standing dead trees that need to come down safely.
Ash was one of the most planted trees in Kitchener's post-war subdivisions and along its newer streets because it grew fast, tolerated clay and salt and had a tidy shape. The emerald ash borer, a beetle whose larvae feed under the bark and cut off the tree's water supply, was first confirmed in this region in the woodlands on either side of Highway 401 at Homer Watson Boulevard, and from there it reached every neighbourhood in the city. The City of Cambridge's forestry page describes it as well established across the region, and Kitchener's experience has been the same. An untreated ash in Kitchener today is either dead, dying, or one of a small number of large specimens that owners have kept alive with injection treatments every couple of years.
Why a dead ash is a different removal
Ash killed by the borer does not stand quietly like a dead oak. The wood dries, cracks and loses strength quickly, the bark falls away in sheets, and limbs shear off at the trunk under their own weight. Within two or three years of death the tree is no longer safe for a climber to work in, because the anchor points cannot be trusted. That pushes the job to a bucket truck where one can reach, or a crane where it cannot, and it is why the honest advice with a dead ash is to remove it this season rather than wait for the price to go up along with the danger.
Signs the tree is on its way
- Thinning crown from the top down, and dieback of the upper branches.
- Dense sprouts from the trunk and the base as the tree tries to survive.
- D-shaped exit holes about 3 to 4 mm across in the bark.
- Bark splitting and heavy woodpecker activity, which is the birds going after the larvae.
- Serpentine galleries under bark that has lifted away.
Where the wood goes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency lists the Regional Municipality of Waterloo as an emerald ash borer regulated area. Ash logs, branches, bark and ash firewood cannot leave the regulated area without the CFIA's consent, and movement of yard waste out of a regulated area is prohibited as well. In practice the brush is chipped and the wood is either disposed of within the region or left with you as firewood to burn at home. Loading ash rounds onto a trailer for the cottage is exactly what spread the beetle in the first place and it is not done.
Treat or remove
If your ash still has most of its crown and you want to keep it, injection treatment with a registered insecticide every one to two years can hold a tree indefinitely, and for a big specimen shading the house that can be worth the ongoing cost. Once the crown is more than about a third gone the tree is unlikely to recover its structure even if the beetle is controlled, and removal becomes the sensible call. Either way, on a normal Kitchener lot under an acre it is your decision with no permit involved; a dead or hazardous ash on a lot over an acre is exempt from the City's by-law when certified as such.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to leave a dead ash standing for another year?
Each year it stands it gets more brittle and more expensive to remove, because at some point it cannot be climbed and needs a crane. Over a house, a neighbour's yard or a sidewalk, it should come down this season. In the back corner of a large lot with nothing under it, there is more latitude.
Can I keep the ash wood for firewood?
Yes, to burn at your own home within Waterloo Region. The CFIA rule is about moving ash wood out of the regulated area, which includes taking it to a cottage or a property in an unregulated part of the province. We can buck the logs to stove length for you.
Do I need a permit to remove an ash tree in Kitchener?
On a residential lot under one acre, no. On a larger lot the City's private tree by-law may apply, but dead, diseased or hazardous trees certified as such are exempt, and a borer-killed ash qualifies. We confirm what applies to the address when quoting.
Serving Kitchener and surrounding areas. Contact us for a no-obligation quote specific to your property.