Bay County Building
515 Center Avenue
Bay City, Michigan 48708-5941

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Treatment Program

As you're enjoying the summer trees in full bloom around Bay County know that the staff of the Gypsy Moth Suppression Program have been working hard to save the public trees throughout our community. To protect our trees and horticulture form non-native invasive species that threaten to upset the natural balance in our area. One such non-native invasive species is the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) which arrived in Bay County around 2007. 

Since the EAB treatment program began five years ago, staff has been able to save and maintain over 3,400 ash trees on public lands. These trees provide not only shade to the areas where they stand but many ecological and economic benefits. They reduce heat in the city saving on summer air conditioning costs; reduce winds in the winter saving on heating costs; produce oxygen, remove carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air improving our air quality and reduce storm water run-off.

The Gypsy Moth Suppression Program staff have begun measuring and evaluating ash trees in Bay County to determine which trees are likely to survive an EAB attack in order to determine which trees have the best success rate for treatment.

Look for these signs and symptoms on your ash trees as they may be signs of an EAB Infestation: Thinning of upper canopy of the tree; Water Sprouts on trunk and Branches; Cracks in the bark; S-shaped tunnels under the cracks; Wood pecker damage; D-Shaped holes in the Bark.  If you suspect that you have Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infesting your ash trees, please contact Alicia Wallace, Program Coordination of the Bay County Gypsy Moth Suppression Program at 989-895-4195 or  wallacea@baycounty.net for more information about what you can do.