Frequently Asked Questions

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The Emerald Ash Borer is a bright green invasive beetle that burrows under the bark of Ash trees. Left untreated the beetle will eventually kill your Ash tree costing thousands to have it and the stump removed.

Ash trees are one of the most common trees in the Chicago area. Frequently planted along right-of-ways, back yards, and aprons, these trees offer habitat for squirrels, early season pollen for native bumblebees, and significant aesthetic value to neighborhoods. 

By injecting the tree with a treatment, the immature Ash Borers are killed thereby prolonging the life of the Ash tree. Without regular treatment, your Ash tree will lose it's leaves, have limbs fall off, and eventually die leaving you with a dead tree and stump to remove. 

Ash trees native to the Midwest and take decades to develop into mature shade trees. They also provide significant habitat and food resources for a variety of native animals. Treating the tree can prolong it's life and prevent an early demise from the Ash borer. Removing the tree prematurely reduces the aesthetics of your yard or neighborhood, removes resources for pollinators or other animals, and can cost thousands of dollars. Having the tree treated regularly is more cost effective than having the tree removed.

Appointments can be made online or be emailing me at mark.clifton@cliftonhomesllc.com.  Payment can be made in-person or online. 

The cost varies depending on the level of treatment you desire and the size of the tree. Typically, the cost per tree is about $10 per diameter/inch for an intermediate dosage.  This means that a tree that is 20 inches in diameter would cost about $200.  The range of cost for a 20 inch tree is from $133 per tree to $293 per tree, depending on the dosage.  To get a general estimate for what your tree would cost, measure around the tree at chest height and divide by 3.14 to obtain the diameter of the tree. Multiply the diameter by $10/inch to obtain a general estimate. 

 An appointment usually takes 15-20 minutes per tree.

Trees are treated by injecting a treatment into the tree underneath the bark. This method uses pressure to force the treatment into the vascular system of the tree. The treatment eventually spreads throughout the entire tree and last for two years.

Trees that are already infested with Emerald Ash borer must be treated as soon as possible to prevent further damage. The more foliage loss the tree has, the less likely it will be that a treatment will prevent further damage. Trees with less than 25% foliage loss usually show extremely high success rates. This is why it is important to treat your tree as soon as possible and regularly

Products available to homeowners have a variable level of success. When there are infected Ash tress nearby (and there definitely are!), the chance of success with a retail product goes down dramatically. Tree injection is the gold standard for maintaining Ash trees.