Don’t Prune Your Ash Trees Until the Fall

Don’t prune your ash trees.

That’s the message Golden Valley’s neighbor wants people to hear as we head into spring.

Even with the late-season cold weather, it’s now warm enough for the insects that kill ash trees, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board announced Thursday. Emerald ash borers, which have been found in Minneapolis, are normally active May through Labor Day.

People should stop pruning ash trees until the fall in order to minimize the risk of emerald ash borers. Residents should also avoid moving any part of an ash tree—including firewood and branches—while the beetles are active in order to avoid inadvertently moving them to uncontaminated areas.

Emerald ash borers have killed millions of ash trees in 13 states. About 20 percent of Minneapolis’ tree canopy is made up of ash trees. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has issued a state quarantine on firewood, ash trees and ash tree products for Hennepin, Ramsey, Houston and Winona counties.

Click here for tips on how to identify whether you have an ash tree in your yard or click here to visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s emerald ash borer Web page