Emerald Ash Borer

Cenotaph

2021 Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Program Updates

Ash tree stumping will commence this spring and should be completed by the fall. There are currently 175 Ash tree stumps across the City to be removed. Staff cannot provide exact dates or times for each stump removal. Once the stump has been ground, the contractor will apply grass seed, sod will not be provided.

Healthy Ash trees will be injected this summer with TreeAzin, which protects the Ash tree from EAB infestation. There is no action required by residents. You may notice green dots on the trunks of public trees that are being treated.

During the month of June, City staff will be inspecting public ash trees to determine their current condition. Trees that do not qualify for treatment will be prioritized for removal based on their condition and hazard potential. Pink dots mean a tree is slated for removal. Residents will receive a notice notifying them of the ash tree removal.

The Ash tree replacement tree program has been put on hold this year due to the increased level of EAB infestation, we are dedicating all our efforts towards the inspection, and treatment or removal of prioritized public Ash street trees, as required. Should the replanting program be available next year property owners who had a public ash tree removed, are on a prioritized list to receive a replacement tree and will receive notice and no further action is needed from the property owner.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was first discovered in Windsor, Ontario in 2002. Since then, many other municipalities, including most of those in the Greater Toronto Area, have had positive EAB identification. EAB is now confirmed in 32 Ontario Counties (Canadian Food Inspection Agency 2013). The spread of EAB in Southern Ontario is averaging about 40 km per year west to east and was detected in Peterborough in late summer 2014 in the south and southeast of the City. Insect trapping throughout the last 5 years has showed that numbers are increasing and spreading widely across the city. Visual surveys have been on-going and trapping will continue to be used to monitor the effectiveness of suppression strategies and the continued spread of the EAB in the City. 

Introductory video about Emerald Ash Borer

Tree inventory and Emerald Ash Borer status map

We maintain a map of ash trees that are next to streets and some that are in park areas as we monitor the health, treatment or removal of the trees.