Ash Borer found in Algonquin

An invasive beetle that has killed millions of ash trees in the eastern United States and southern Canada has been found in Algonquin, the village announced this week.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture confirmed the emerald ash borer has infested at least one tree at a home on the 200 block of Souwanis Trail, according to Steve Ludwig, Algonquin's parks and forestry superintendent.

But Ludwig said because of the difficulty of detecting the beetle, the pest has probably infested a wider swath of town.

"I wholly suspect it has spread throughout the area," Ludwig said. "We just haven't found it yet."

The emerald ash borer feeds on ash trees, usually killing them by destroying the tissues that deliver water and nutrients to branches.

The adult ash borer is green and about one-half of an inch in length. It superficially resembles a grasshopper but is actually a beetle of Asian origin.

Algonquin joins a growing list of area towns that have reported the beetle. That list includes Batavia, Carol Stream, Chicago, Evanston, Glendale Heights, Geneva, Naperville, Winnetka and Wilmette.

The pest has decimated ash tree populations in southeast Michigan since it was first reported in the country in 2002, and local forestry officials expect the beetle will have a similar effect on Illinois' ash trees.

"It's my professional opinion that the ash tree is no longer a viable species for the state of Illinois," said Ludwig, who has overseen Algonquin's parks and forestry division for about 12 years.

The Algonquin village board is set to consider a plan to limit the spread of the infestation on Tuesday.

The proposed plan would monitor the infestation and remove all infested trees on village property, Ludwig said. Though some communities have gone so far as to remove all their ash trees, Ludwig said Algonquin would probably not do the same.

"It's always been the village's stance that we don't remove healthy trees," Ludwig said.

But because infestations spread as much as tenfold each year, the village's entire ash tree population is at risk, Ludwig said.

The parks and forestry chief estimated ash trees account for about 25 percent of the village's trees, and the figure is much higher in some areas.

"There are definitely some isolated neighborhoods in Algonquin that are going to change dramatically because 80 to 90 percent of the species are ash," Ludwig said.

It could cost Algonquin at least $2 million to remove all of the ash trees on village property - not including the cost of replacement, Ludwig said.

Residents who have ash trees on their property will have to decide whether to remove the tree or spend potentially thousands of dollars over the life of the tree in hopes of preventing an infestation, Ludwig said.

If you suspect an ash tree on your property is already infested, call Algonquin's parks and forestry division at (847) 658-2754.