Tree removal and tree service · Fort Wayne, IN
Emerald ash borer in Fort Wayne
How to tell if you have an ash, whether it can be saved, and why dead ash shouldn't wait.
What happened
The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle, was first detected in Indiana in 2004. Its larvae tunnel under the bark and cut off the tree's water and nutrients. Fort Wayne lost most of its untreated street ash, and the city removed nearly 13,000 ash trees from city property by 2013.
Source: Indianapolis Business Journal, "Fort Wayne's ash tree removal bill nears $3 million" (Aug 2013) https://www.ibj.com/articles/43057-fort-wayne-s-ash-tree-removal-bill-nears-3-million. Seen Oct 29, 2026.
Is it an ash?
- Branches and buds grow in opposite pairs
- Compound leaves, usually 5 to 9 leaflets
- Mature bark has diamond-shaped ridges
Signs of infestation
- Thinning canopy from the top down
- D-shaped exit holes about 1/8 inch wide
- Bark splitting and S-shaped tunnels underneath
- Heavy woodpecker damage, with light patches where bark is stripped
- Sprouts along the trunk
What to do
An ash with most of its canopy healthy can often be protected with trunk injections from a licensed applicator. Once a large share of the canopy is gone, removal is usually the answer, and sooner is safer and cheaper because dead ash gets brittle fast.