Des Plaines removes trees afflicted by emerald ash borer
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Des Plaines public works crews spent much of Tuesday cutting down ash trees in the parkways of the Kylemore Greens and Longford Glen subdivisions.
The trees were "distressed," Public Works Director Timothy Oakley said, and showed signs of infestation by the emerald ash borer, a troublesome insect that is killing ash trees all over the suburbs.
"We have 27 trees in those areas that we're removing," Oakley said. "That's part of a larger effort to remove 337 trees around the city."
Oakley said the city will remove the trees on an intermittent basis throughout the year. City officials are looking at ways to replace the removed trees.
The ash borer was first discovered in Illinois in 2006. The insect lays eggs inside the bark of an ash tree. The larvae then feed on the tree's inner wood as they grow. Eventually the larvae reach adulthood and chew their way out, leaving the tree unable to sustain itself.
