The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) which has devastated ash trees in southwestern Ontario and parts of the United States since its discovery in Detroit, Michigan in 2002, has been detected in the City of Toronto. The EAB is an introduced insect pest from Asia that attacks and kills all species of ash (genus: Fraxinus) trees.

In 2007, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of the EAB in Toronto in the vicinity of Sheppard Avenue East and Highway 404. Subsequent investigations have identified other EAB infested trees within the City which include the Birchmount Road and Hwy 401 area, the Military Trail and Kingston Road area, and in early 2009 a significant infestation in the Morningside Avenue and Sheppard Avenue area of Scarborough was identified. It is expected that EAB has spread throughout Toronto, although it has not yet been detected outside of the above mentioned areas.

As a result of the EAB infestation in the City of Toronto and surrounding municipalities, the CFIA has instituted a quarantine zone through a Ministerial Order which encompasses an area containing the entire City of Toronto, the City of Hamilton, Halton Region, Peel Region, York Region and Durham Region. The Ministerial Order identifies prohibitions or restrictions of movement on nursery stock, trees, leaves, logs, lumber, wood, wood chips and bark chips from all ash (genus: Fraxinus) species and firewood of all species. Unless authorized by a Movement Certificate issued by the CFIA, their movement out of the quarantine zone is prohibited. This is necessary to prevent the spread of the EAB into un-infested areas in the rest of Ontario and Canada.

Should you have additional questions or require more information on EAB in the City of Toronto, please click on the following links to EAB Questions and Answers.

Q&A Links:

For more information about the EAB, including pictures of the insect and signs of infestation, visit the CFIA Web page at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pestrava/agrpla/agrplae.shtml

• City of Toronto EAB Poster (PDF)
• Canadian Forest Service "A Visual Guide to Detecting Emerald Ash Borer Damage" (PDF)
• Canadian Forest Service "Survey Guide to Detection of Emerald Ash Borer" (PDF)
• How to identify Ash Trees (PDF)

• What is the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)?
• EAB is an introduced insect pest that attacks and kills all species of true ash trees (genus: Fraxinus) by feeding beneath the bark and disrupting the flow of water and nutrients within the tree.
  
• How much damage can the Emerald Ash Borer cause to trees?
• Tree mortality will result if a tree has been infested with EAB. Mortality may occur in as short a period as one year, however, death normally occurs within 2-3 years of a tree being infested.
  
• What kinds of trees are affected by the EAB?
• EAB attacks only true ash trees of the genus Fraxinus. Both native and non-native ash trees are susceptible. Common ashes found in Toronto include: white ash (Fraxinus americana L.), green or red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marsh.) and European black ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.). Other susceptible native ash species are the rarer blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata Michx.) and very rare pumpkin ash (Fraxinus profunda Bush), both found in extreme southwestern Ontario. For information on identifying affected trees click here (PDF).
  
• What is the lifecycle of EAB?
• The adult beetles lay eggs in bark crevices in late May - August and the emergent larvae tunnel into the outer stem of the tree, feeding underneath the bark. Larvae feed throughout the summer and over winter and pupate and emerge as adults between May and August.
  
• Are there any natural enemies (control factors) to the Emerald Ash Borer?
• EAB does have natural controls in the form of birds and other animals which feed on the larvae. However, predation has not had a significant impact on EAB populations in North America. EAB does not represent a significant problem in its natural range in eastern Asia. Scientists in Canada and the United States are working on the possibility of introducing natural control agents found in Asia where the EAB population is held in check by natural predators, pathogens, and tree resistance.
  
• How do I recognize if a tree is infested by EAB?
• Unfortunately, this is extremely difficult. Without cutting the tree down and skinning off most of the bark, we cannot be sure if a tree is infested. A lot of the symptoms associated with EAB, such as shoots (suckers), cracking bark, D-shaped holes and thinning crowns only become evident after two or more years of infestation. One or more of these symptoms may appear even without the presence of EAB.
  

Toronto's Infestation:

• Where in Toronto was EAB found?
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the EAB in Toronto, in the vicinity of Sheppard Avenue East and Highway 404. Subsequent investigations have identified other EAB infested trees within the City which include the Birchmount Road and Hwy 401 area, the Military Trail and Kingston Road area and, in early 2009, a significant EAB infestation in the Morningside Avenue and Sheppard Avenue area of Scarborough was identified. It is expected that EAB has spread throughout Toronto, though it has not yet been detected outside of the before-mentioned areas.
  
• How severe will the infestation be?
• Thus far, infestations elsewhere in North America have increased and spread despite significant control measures attempted. Once established, EAB has proven impossible to control. Movement of infested wood, wood products or nursery stock has likely resulted in the spread of this insect to Toronto. Once established, adult EAB can disperse to distances of several kilometres on the wing.
  
• How many trees could be affected by EAB?
• Approximately six per cent (approx. 30,000 individual trees) of the street trees in Toronto are ash species. It is estimated that there are at least as many ash trees found in yards and many more in parks, ravines and natural areas throughout the city. All ash trees in Toronto are at risk from this infestation.
  

Regulation & Disposal:

• What is the role of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in control of EAB?
• CFIA is obligated under IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention), NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), NAPPO (North American Plant Protection Organization) to enforce regulations for control of invasive pests. CFIA staff may enter private property for the purpose of survey and/or control actions and declare things or places to be infested. Should you have any questions related to the regulations regarding EAB please contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at 1-866-463-6017.
  
• How will I dispose of any ash material?
• It is possible to move ash material and firewood of any species anywhere within the zone described in the Ministerial Order identified by the CFIA as Emerald Ash Borer Infested Place Order for the Cities of Hamilton and Toronto and the Regional Municipalities of Durham, York, Peel and Halton”. See CFIA website here You may dispose of ash wood anywhere within this zone. Ash tree materials include ash trees (whole or parts), ash nursery stock, ash logs ash lumber, newly manufactured wood packaging made from ash, ash wood or bark ash wood chips or bark chips. Presently, any ash material that meets the criteria for yard waste will be collected during regularly-scheduled pick ups by Solid Waste. Ash material too large for yard waste collection and firewood of any species, may be disposed of at the Dufferin Transfer Station, 35 Vanley Crescent (south of Finch off Chesswood Drive). Additional information is available by phoning 416-392-3161.
  
  Hours of operation for the Dufferin Transfer Station are:
  • Monday – Friday: 6am-6pm
  • Closed to Residential Loads 8am - 4pm Tuesday – Friday
  • Saturday and Sunday – Closed
  

Control:

• What can be done to control the Emerald Ash Borer?
• CFIA has issued a Ministerial Order that applies to the the Cities of Hamilton and Toronto and the Regional Municipalities of Durham, York, Peel and Halton. This is necessary to stop the movement of regulated articles that may harbour the insect, including: nursery stock, trees, logs, lumber, wood, wood chips and bark chips from all ash species and firewood of all species. The only other control for EAB that is available and has been used in North America is combined tree removal, chipping and grinding of wood waste (including the pests harboured within the wood) or pesticide injection.
  
• Are there any pesticides that can be used to control EAB?
• EAB larvae tunnel under the bark and feed in the cambium, between the bark and the wood and are very hard to kill with pesticides applied to the exterior of the tree. To be effective a pesticide must be either absorbed into the tree through the roots or leaves, or injected directly into the active vascular region of the tree and become systemic within the tree. At the present time, a naturally-occurring compound from the Neem tree, marketed as TreeAzin has been shown to have pesticidal properties and is the only product registered for use in Canada by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada in ash trees against EAB. TreeAzin was granted Emergency Registration status in 2008 and again in 2009. TreeAzin is delivered into the tree using a patented stem-injection technology.
  
• What is TreeAzin stem injection and how does it control an Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation?
• TreeAzin is a systemic bioinsecticide containing Azadirachtin, an extract from the Neem tree. A liquid formulation has been developed for stem injection by the Canadian Forest Service in collaboration with BioForest Technologies Inc. which developed the EcoJet System for its application.
  
  The pesticide has an Emergency Registration for EAB control in ash trees. TreeAzin inhibits EAB larval development, prevents adult emergence, and provides preventative and remedial treatments.
  
  For more information on this product visit the www.bioforest.ca website.
  
• Is Urban Forestry planning to use stem injection of TreeAzin as a control method?
• Urban Forestry is planning to do limited tree injections in a small number of City-owned trees in 2009 for research and monitoring purposes. At this point, due to the lack of effective detection methods, it is very difficult to determine the spread of the infestation. We don't know how wide-spread the EAB infestation is within the City and beyond. Current survey methods are not effective in early detection of the EAB infestation. The signs and symptoms of the EAB damage become evident usually after many years of the infestation.
  
  Where the infestation is established with a high level of insect population, the use of trunk injection as a control option may help to slow the spread of EAB. Given the cost, the use of pesticides to protect individual trees must be balanced with the option of replacing trees through planting programs.
  
  Pesticide injection can also be used to protect selected high value ash trees for a certain period of time. To provide an extended control, the injection of the pesticide needs to be repeated every 2 years. Repeated injections will affect the long term health of the tree given the impact of drilling holes into the main stem Systemic insecticides may simply delay the death of the tree in which case it may be more effective to use the available funding to remove and replace the infested ash trees. More studies are needed to determine the long lasting effect of TreeAzin and other similar products before considering it for the City wide application on municipal trees.
  
• I have an ash tree on my and/or City property. Can I have it injected to protect it from EAB infestation?
• Residents (homeowners) can use this control method under the condition that the application is performed by a licensed applicator. Treatment of City-owned ash trees will be regulated by a service agreement and will be at the homeowners' expense. Homeowners who wish to use a TreeAzin pesticide injection to protect their own private individual trees are referred to www.bioforest.ca for more information. If the tree is a City-owned tree, homeowners may hire contractors bound by an “Agreement for Contractors to Perform Arboricultural Services on City-owned Street Trees” (PDF).
  
  It is important to inspect the ash trees for signs and symptoms of the EAB infestation before making a decision on the treatment. Research suggests that the injection is most effective when the insecticide treatment is provided in the earliest stages of the infestation before visible signs and symptoms are present or in the year before the infestation happens. Heavily infested trees with signs of decline cannot be protected from the infestation.
  
• What is the City of Toronto doing to control the spread of EAB in the city?
• In 2004, Toronto Urban Forestry instituted a moratorium on the planting of ash trees on City property. If you were proposing to plant an ash tree, please consider an alternative species. Click here (PDF) for access to a list of tree species recommended for residential tree planting:
  
  Currently the Urban Forestry Branch of Parks, Forestry and Recreation is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) to co-ordinate the response to the detection of EAB in Toronto.
  
  Workshops have been held with commercial arborists to inform them of the importance of effective survey and disposal, as well as to provide information about TreeAzin, a pesticide that is available through emergency registration for use to control the spread of EAB.
  
  Urban Forestry has employed control practices including tree removal, chipping and grinding of wood waste and pesticide injection. At this time the only method being used by Urban Forestry to protect ash trees is pesticide injection. This is being employed on a small scale, case-by-case basis as the resources available to apply pesticides are limited and treatment is still new and being assessed by City staff. Urban Forestry is focussing our efforts on the replacement of trees within areas of the city that are most vulnerable to ash tree losses rather than investing heavily in pesticide treatment to delay the death of individual trees from EAB. Homeowners who wish to use pesticide injection to protect individual trees are referred to www.bioforest.ca for more information. If the tree is a city owned tree, homeowners may hire contractors bound by an “Agreement for Contractors to Perform Arboricultural Services on City-owned Street Trees”. Contact 416-338-tree to request a forest health care inspection to have the tree assessed for EAB symptoms.
  

General Information:

• What are the environmental impacts that will result from an infestation of EAB?
• Ash forests provide habitat for numerous animals and birds and are integral to the health of soils and watersheds. In natural forests of southern Ontario, ash trees generally form a high proportion of the young tree population. The loss of ash trees will reduce or eliminate food and shelter sources for wildlife, thereby disrupting the ecology of tableland and valleyland forests. Ash trees are also valued as a street tree, being relatively fast growing and one of the very few species that are tolerant of difficult growing conditions typical in urban areas. The loss of the ash species will limit diversity of the future urban forest. All species of ash play an important role in maintaining the health of the environment in which they are located.
  
• Where can I get more information on EAB?
• Please see the links to the CFIA website or contact CFIA directly at 1-866-463-6017. Additionally, there are many sources of EAB information on the internet.
  

Firewood and Wood Chips:

• Can I take firewood (wood, wood chips) out of the City?
• Due to the presence of the Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALHB) and the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in the City of Toronto, restrictions related to the movement of wood material have been put in place.
  
  For Asian Long-Horned Beetle, there are now prohibitions or restrictions of movement on nursery stock, trees, leaves, logs, lumber, wood, wood chips and bark chips from certain deciduous trees identified as hosts of the ALHB, and firewood of all species. Unless authorized by a Movement Certificate issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), their movement out of or through the Regulated Area is prohibited. Please visit the following link for information on the Regulated Area.
  
  With respect to the EAB infestation in Toronto, the CFIA has instituted a quarantine zone through a Ministerial Order which encompasses the entire City of Toronto and surrounding municipalities.
  
  There are now prohibitions or restrictions of movement on nursery stock, trees, leaves, logs, lumber, wood, wood chips and bark chips from all ash species, and firewood of all species. Unless authorized by a Movement Certificate issued by the CFIA, their movement out of the quarantine zone is prohibited.
  
  This is necessary to prevent the spread of the ALHB and EAB throughout Toronto and un-infested areas in the rest of Ontario and Canada.
  
• Can I use dead ash wood in my neighbourhood or from the regulated area to burn for firewood in Toronto.
• Yes, as long as the firewood originates from within the regulated area of Hamilton, Toronto, Durham, York, Peel and Halton OR if the firewood originates from an area that is not regulated for EAB, you may use it. You cannot move any firewood from another regulated area into Toronto.
  
• Can I get firewood or wood chips from the city?
• The City of Toronto is no longer able to provide firewood or wood chips to the public due to the Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALHB) and Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) insect infestations. After pruning or removing a City-owned street tree, Urban Forestry will not leave firewood on site for residents. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has placed restrictions on the movement of firewood and wood chips in order to prevent the spread of the ALHB and EAB throughout Toronto and un-infested areas in the rest of Ontario and Canada.
  
• Where can I dispose of wood?
• Presently, any ash and ALHB host material that meets the criteria for yard waste will be collected during regularly-scheduled pick ups by Solid Waste. Ash material, ALHB host material originating from within the Regulated Area for ALHB and firewood of any species that is too large for yard waste collection may be disposed of at the Dufferin Transfer Station, 35 Vanley Crescent (south of Finch off Chesswood Drive). Additional information is available by phoning 416-392-3161.
  
  Hours of operation for the Dufferin Transfer Station are:
  • Monday – Friday: 6am-6pm
  • Closed to Residential Loads 8am - 4pm Tuesday – Friday
  • Saturday and Sunday – Closed