Ash Tree Removal in Frisco, TX

Ash tree removal in Frisco became a real question in June 2024, when the Texas A&M Forest Service announced that emerald ash borer had been confirmed in Collin County from beetles collected that May. Denton County is also on the Forest Service's list of Texas counties where the beetle has been found, along with Dallas, Tarrant, Grayson and others. Emerald ash borer is a small metallic green beetle whose larvae feed under the bark, cutting off the tree's flow of water and nutrients; all 16 native U.S. ash species are at risk. Once Collin County was confirmed, the Texas Department of Agriculture added it to the state quarantine, which restricts moving ash wood out of quarantined counties.

Signs to look for

Early infestations often show little from the ground. As damage builds, look for dead branches at the top of the crown, leafy shoots sprouting from the trunk, bark splitting to reveal S-shaped tunnels underneath, heavy woodpecker activity that strips the outer bark, and small D-shaped exit holes about an eighth of an inch wide. Adult beetles fly around May and June. If you think you have seen one, the Forest Service asks that it be reported to its EAB hotline at 1-866-322-4512.

Treat or remove

Not every ash has to come down. The Forest Service notes that systemic insecticides containing emamectin benzoate can protect a tree for about two to three years where the borer is present, and in Texas that treatment is applied for hire by a licensed pesticide applicator. Treatment makes the most sense for a healthy, well-placed ash you want to keep. For an ash that is already declining, badly placed, or one of several crowded trees, removal is usually the better use of money, and the Forest Service advises removing trees that are not worth saving.

Why timing matters

Ash killed by the borer dries out and becomes brittle, and limbs can snap without warning. That makes climbing and rigging a dead ash more dangerous and more expensive the longer it stands. Removing a declining ash while the wood is still sound is safer for the crew and your property. The Forest Service also warns that the borer can survive in wood for up to two years, so ash wood should be burned, buried or chipped where it is cut rather than moved, which is how we handle it.