save the pines and ash

[smith2bj]

is there anything that I can do to save my pine and or ash trees in my yard?  and is this wood still good for making stuff with?

[beenthere]

Some sprays that may save your ash trees, and as well your pines.

Tell us about the apparent problem and present condition. 

Wood is still good.

[Ed]

Ash is very good wood for woodworking, very similar to Oak in appearance. IME, it does tend to chip out more than Oak when it's fed thru a planer due to changing grain directions. EAB doesn't affect sawlog quality.

As far as saving your Ash trees....I'll admit I'm a pessimist. EAB has been in our area for several years now, they are a very efficient killer. I would wager better than 99% success rate. Go for a drive, look at woodlots and even roadside trees, the devastation is appalling.
I've been marking Ash in my woods and it ain't pretty, when you look back and see 60% or more of the trees (in certain areas) with a big red line around them it makes me sick. This is also due to a mismanaged woodlot, but that was way before my time. Hopefully I can change that (and live to see the results).

I would just cut the Ash and replant.

Ed

[forestrycycle]

I agree with ed,

I live in a 10 acre woods in mid michigan. In the last 2 months I have cut more than 100 ash trees killed by EAB. The sad part is that I have about 300 more to cut. Some of the ash that I have cut have been as large as 40" in diameter. Some people will try to tell you that EAB only goes after the younger ash but I can tell you that this is not true. My neighbor works for the government as a conservationist and he says that the ash trees are all as good as dead. I have recently started a business to try and recycle the ash trees and put them to some good use. Where in mid michigan are you located?

Jeremy

[Ironwood]

FYI, powder post LOVE ash. If you plan to mill that much lumber I would create a system of soaking it w/ borax salts in solution. This should give you substantially more time to get it built into something OR sold off. The longer the "wet" time the better the penetration, and it is only a natural salt and will not affect your future use OR your health when working it.


 Ironwood

[SwampDonkey]

Hoping to never see that pest here. I have a diverse woodlot with a lot of softwood mixed in both natural and planted. The ash is throughout, but maybe it is safer. Time will tell. The better ash is mixed with maple, and fir, where the ash would be least abundant but still a good many of them.

[WDH]

FYI, powder post LOVE ash. If you plan to mill that much lumber I would create a system of soaking it w/ borax salts in solution. This should give you substantially more time to get it built into something OR sold off. The longer the "wet" time the better the penetration, and it is only a natural salt and will not affect your future use OR your health when working it.
 Ironwood

Reid,

Do you think that spraying the lumber wet with a borax solution using a backpack sprayer would be worth the effort?   The powder post beetles got in my dried pecan lumber, and I cannot let that happen again.  Like ash, they love hickory and pecan too.

[Ironwood]

I do. Rule #1, make it taste BAD. They (whom ever they is), recommend using antifreeze as a longer wetting agent. This also creates a fungicide and a POISONOUS layer when it is eventually worked FYI.  I would likely steer away from this, but do what you will. They also said it needs to be the "old" poisonous antifreeze, not the newer eco friendly stuff.

 Why is it that i always seem to be running around buying all the new old stock of the "old stuff" that has been outlawed?  Gas cans, trucks, termite killer, antifreeze, and various other poisons  I especially like old barns w/ the glass bottles from the 1960's w/ all the GOOD stuff!!!!

 Ironwood

[Dalden]

Have trailer will pick-up ash - 18" to 30" X anything 4' to 12' long if you have more then you can deal with.  Willing to help falling and bucking or whatever too?

I also have an alskan mill, mini-mill and a plan or two for making stuff folks might keep for a while out of the ash we are mostly tossing here in Michigan (the volume is huge - DNR site estimated 15 million dead or dying trees a couple of years ago).  I think ash is a really pretty wood that starts out light enough to stain to match any interior wood color usually found in trim work.   It's fairly hard and strong too - ask the folks that make baseball bats.

EAD

Zebra Muscles

Asian Carp


Does anyone factor these costs into cheap import stuff?

[paulpieter]

I am aware of the EAB threat. Have 40 plus acres of pure ash to give up one day. Ash loves the local climate and is very successful which might be its undoing. I am already starting to diversify with substitute varieties. EAB has been found in Ottawa last year, about 25 miles (40 km.) away. Expect it to arrive here in half a dozen years or so.

What is the pine threat in Michigan that you mention?