Ash Tree Removal in Springfield, MO

Ash tree removal has become routine in Springfield since emerald ash borer arrived. The Missouri Department of Agriculture confirmed the beetle in Greene and Polk counties in 2018 after it turned up in traps at three sites, including a Greenways trail in southwest Springfield. The Missouri Department of Conservation says it kills more than 99 percent of the ash trees it attacks within three to four years. When the City of Springfield announced its response, it estimated ash made up less than 3 percent of the urban canopy, but in many yards the one ash out back is the biggest tree on the lot.

Signs your ash is infested

The larvae feed under the bark, cutting off the tree's flow of water and sugar. The first thing most people notice is a thinning crown, with dead twigs and branches near the top. Woodpeckers dig after the larvae and flake off outer bark, leaving pale patches on the trunk. Look closely and you may see small D-shaped exit holes, and under loose bark, winding S-shaped tunnels. Sprouts along the trunk are another sign that the tree is in trouble.

Treat or remove?

Treatment works for healthy, high-value ash trees. MDC says insecticides can protect a tree but must be repeated every year or two, with early spring the most effective time. Products sold at home stores work best on trees under 20 inches across at chest height; bigger trees need products available only to licensed applicators. The Maryland Department of Agriculture's homeowner guide advises treating only trees with less than 30 percent canopy loss, and MDC recommends removal for trees that have already lost more than half of their leaves and branches. On the visit we tell you where your tree falls. If treatment makes sense, it has to be applied by someone licensed for those products, and we will say so plainly.

Why waiting makes removal harder

Ash wood dries out and becomes brittle soon after the tree dies. Limbs that would bend under a rope on a live tree can snap on a dead one, which makes climbing and rigging slower and sometimes means a lift instead of a climber. A dead ash over a roof, a driveway or a street is a real hazard. Taking it down while it is still mostly sound is safer and often costs less.

Keep ash wood local

The beetle can keep emerging from ash firewood and logs for up to two years after the tree is cut, according to MDC. Ash wood from your yard should be burned on site or nearby, or chipped, not hauled to a cabin in another county. For a replacement tree, MDC suggests a different species, such as a native Missouri oak.