Emerald Ash Borer in Central Ohio: Signs, Treatments, and How to Save Your Tree

If you have an ash tree in Central Ohio whether you’re in Columbus, New Albany, or the surrounding suburbs the emerald ash borer (EAB) is probably the single biggest threat it faces. This invasive beetle has killed the vast majority of untreated ash trees across Ohio over the past two decades, and it doesn’t slow down once it finds a host tree. The good news is that EAB is highly treatable if you catch it early, and knowing what to look for is the first step.

What is the Emerald Ash Borer?

The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic green beetle whose larvae tunnel under the bark of ash trees, cutting off the tree’s ability to move water and nutrients. By the time damage is visible from the ground, the infestation is often already well established. Nearly every ash tree in Ohio that isn’t treated will eventually be affected.

Signs Your Ash Tree May Have EAB

Canopy thinning or dieback: Usually starting at the top of the tree and working its way down.
D-shaped exit holes: Small holes in the bark about the size of a grain of rice.
Splitting bark: Revealing S-shaped tunnels (galleries) underneath the surface.
Increased woodpecker activity: Woodpeckers heavily forage on the bark to feed on the larvae underneath.
Epicormic sprouting: New, leafy shoots rapidly growing from the lower trunk or base as the tree tries to compensate for canopy loss.

Any one of these signs on its own isn’t a guaranteed diagnosis. However, a combination of two or more-especially a thinning canopy paired with exit holes-is a strong signal that it’s time for a professional tree assessment.

Why Early Identification Matters

Ash trees can decline surprisingly fast once EAB takes hold, sometimes within two to three years from the first symptoms to complete tree death. A tree caught early, while the canopy is still mostly intact, has a much better chance of responding well to treatment. A tree that has already lost more than half of its canopy is a much harder case, and in some situations, professional tree removal becomes the safer and more practical option.

What to Do If You Suspect EAB

The tunneling and canopy loss caused by EAB also severely weaken a tree’s structural integrity. This becomes a real safety concern for any tree growing near a house, driveway, or anywhere people walk and park. If you’re seeing any of the signs above, the right move is to have an ISA Certified Arborist take a look before deciding between saving the tree or safely removing it.

Can My Ash Tree Be Saved?

The short answer is yes-most trees are savable if they have more than 50% of their crown intact.

Here in Central Ohio, EAB populations tend to ebb and flow as new forested ash saplings grow, become infected, and then die. Because we are no longer in the initial, devastating wave of the borer, the pest pressure is typically not high enough to instantly decimate an isolated ash tree. Emamectin benzoate is the best EAB treatment option available and has a 20-year track record of successfully controlling the borer.

What to Expect After Tree Treatment

There are a few very important things to keep in mind once you begin an EAB treatment program. First, the treatment is designed to kill the borer upon ingestion; it does not put a barrier over your tree that repels the insect from landing. Because of this, borers can still cause minor damage before the treatment stops them, meaning you might occasionally see new, small dead branches pop up even on a tree that has been treated for years.

You may also continue to see larger dead branches form after treatment has started. There are two reasons for this:

Lagging Damage: The borer’s internal damage hasn’t completely revealed itself yet. It typically takes two to three years after treatment begins to stop losing larger limbs, though this is solely dependent on the condition of the tree prior to treatment.
Unrelated Stress: Ash trees can decline for other reasons. While the biggest issue with ash trees is the borer, your tree can still experience drought stress, root problems, and the typical aging associated with any mature tree.

At Arborist Solutions, we offer expert emerald ash borer treatment and diagnosis throughout the Columbus area. Every recommendation starts with an honest assessment of whether a tree is a good candidate for treatment or if removal is the safer route. If you’re noticing thinning, exit holes, or unusual woodpecker activity on an ash tree, reach out for a consultation, and we’ll help you figure out the right next step.

I’m going to start with the tl;dr… Yes, they can. BUT… It all depends on the species of tree, proximity of the foundation, soil type, and land slope in proximity to the foundation

We all love the shade, beauty, and curb appeal that mature trees bring to a property. But when a massive tree is sitting just a few feet from your home, it’s completely normal to feel a little anxiety. Homeowners often ask us: Are those roots going to destroy my foundation?

Here is the reality of how tree roots interact with your home’s foundation, what we can do to stop them, and the hard truth about your real options given your situation.

The Myth vs. The Reality of Root Damage

There is a common misconception that tree roots are like underground torpedoes, forcefully punching their way through solid concrete.

In reality, roots are opportunistic. They don’t break perfectly good concrete; instead, they cause damage in two primary ways:

Soil Shrinkage and Settlement: This happens whether you have tree’s or not. Clay soil (Like found here in Central Ohio) shrinks dramatically when it is dry. This can cause a perfectly packed foundation to end up with open space around it and can cause cracking and movement of the foundation. Trees will make this problem worse for a few reasons. Roots are constantly searching for moisture. During dry spells, a large tree can use hundreds of gallons of water a day, pulling that moisture directly out of the soil around your home. If you have expansive clay soils (like we have in Columbus, Ohio), this moisture loss causes the soil to dramatically shrink. When the soil shrinks, your foundation loses its support, leading to settling, cracking, and structural damage. Also during these dry spells, trees will lose some of their roots naturally, which will open up even more space for foundations to move. If you have trees showing signs of root stress, our root care and soil health services address exactly this.
Exploiting Existing Cracks: While a root won’t pierce a pristine foundation wall, it will happily invade a pre-existing hairline crack to get to the moisture inside your crawlspace or basement. As the root grows and expands in diameter, it widens the crack, worsening the structural damage and letting water in. It is important to examine your foundation regularly and fill any cracks so the trees can’t become opportunistic.
Species is everything: There are problematic trees or shrubs, and ones that are less likely to cause issues. In our experience, the following species are common problem trees; Oaks, Silver Maples, River Birch, Sycamore, London Plane, Red Maples, Baldcypress, Willows, Honeylocust, and Hackberries cause issues here in Columbus, Ohio. Ornamental Trees like Crabapples, Hawthorn, Magnolia, Weeping Cherry, Japanese Maple, Redbud, Dogwood, Serviceberry, and Alberta Spruce seem to cause little to no issues. Most Shrubs are okay, but Taxus and Juniper have also been known to cause problems from time to time.

Tree Root Barrier Installation: How We Protect Your Foundation

If you have a tree that is starting to encroach on your foundation but is still at a safe distance, we can step in and mitigate the risk. Our primary method for this is Root Barrier Installation.

How It Works

Trenching: We dig a narrow trench between the tree and your foundation.
Pruning: We carefully cut the encroaching roots that are heading toward your home.
Barrier Placement: We install a tough panel system into the trench.
Redirection: The barrier forces future root growth to redirect deeper into the ground and away from your foundation, protecting your home while allowing the tree to continue thriving.

The Hard Truth: When Mitigation Isn’t an easy Option

We are in the business of protecting your home, but we also have to be honest about the limitations of root mitigation. Proximity is everything.

If a large, mature tree is planted right up against your foundation, installing a root barrier may not be possible. Here is why:

The Structural Root Zone: Trees rely on large, woody roots near their base to keep them anchored upright. If a tree is too close to your house, installing a root barrier requires severing these critical anchor roots.

Cutting a tree’s structural roots creates an immediate, severe hazard. The tree could easily topple over in the next strong windstorm—crashing directly onto the very home you were trying to protect. Furthermore, removing a massive percentage of a tree’s root system all at once will often send the tree into shock, slowly killing it over the next few years.

The Bottom Line: If the tree is simply too close to the foundation, there are no viable mitigation options that will save both the house and the tree. In these extreme cases, tree removal is unfortunately the only responsible way to protect your property’s structural integrity. If tree removal isn’t an option, we recommend reinforcing your basement with I beams and Straps utilizing a local Basement or foundation company. You don’t want to wait until the damage happens or your home can settle and cause other issues.

Don’t Wait Until the Walls Crack

Ignoring a suspicious tree won’t make the roots stop growing. If you are worried about a tree in your yard, the best thing you can do is get a professional assessment before the concrete starts cracking or the doors stop shutting properly.

We can evaluate the species of the tree, the soil type, and the proximity to your home to tell you exactly what your options are—whether that’s a preventative root barrier or a recommendation for removal.

Reach out to our team today to schedule an evaluation and protect your home from the ground down.

James Benedetto
ISA Certified Arborist OH-7011A
Tree Risk Assessment Qualified