Hampshire battles ash borer

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By KATIE ROYAL HAMPSHIRE - The emerald ash borer (EAB) has been confirmed in Hampshire, and has affected at least 200 to 300 trees in the village. The village will begin removing the infected trees on public property within the next week. These trees will be cut down and either chipped or burned to avoid the possibility of them infecting other trees in the area. “Treatment options are expensive and can’t bring a dead or dying tree back to life,” explained Village President Jeff Magnussen. “The village won’t treat the trees, we will unfortunately have to destroy them. We can’t let these trees stay around.” Some signs of an infected tree include dying branches, new growth at the base of the tree trunk, or holes in the tree bark. Residents with infected trees on their private property will need to have those trees removed on their own. Residents who are not sure if their trees are infected, or suspect they may have an infected tree, should contact a certified arborist to check their trees and discuss possible treatment or removal options. While certified arborist Jeff Leuzinger of Nature’s Way admits that infected trees usually need to be removed to avoid further infection of other trees, he also said that if an infected tree can be treated, he would recommend that over cutting it down. Also, healthy trees should be pre-treated to avoid future infection. “It’s important to be proactive,” Leuzinger said. “If possible, we don’t want to cut trees down.” For more information, residents may call Leuzinger at 847-683-0300, or the village at 847-683-2181.

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