If you still have a mature ash tree in Metro East Illinois, summer is the easiest time to read the signs of emerald ash borer.
The borer kills a canopy from the crown down, so thinning or dead branches at the very top are an early warning. Look for new sprouts shooting straight from the trunk, vertical bark splits, and small D-shaped exit holes about the size of a rice grain. One of the clearest signs is woodpecker flecking, where birds strip light patches of bark to reach the larvae underneath.
By the time an ash looks obviously sick, the borer has often been inside for a couple of years, and a heavily infested ash turns brittle fast. A dead ash is among the more dangerous trees to remove because the wood fails without warning. Catching it early keeps the work safe across Bethalto, Alton, and Wood River.
#MetroEastTreeService #EmeraldAshBorer #TreeRemoval #Alton
Real photo of woodpecker flecking, bark splits, or D-shaped exit holes on an ash trunk from a Metro East job. Authentic diagnostic photos preferred over stock.
Canva text suggestion: "Know the Signs of Emerald Ash Borer" or "A Dead Ash Fails Without Warning"