Overview
- This week Colorado State University and city officials confirmed first detections of emerald ash borer in Douglas County (Parker) and within Colorado Springs, triggering public briefings and expanded trapping.
- The beetle’s larvae tunnel beneath ash bark in S-shaped galleries and create small D-shaped exit holes, a feeding habit that typically kills untreated ash trees over one to two years.
- City foresters are offering targeted trunk injections of emamectin benzoate to protect high-value trees at roughly $200 per treatment with repeats about every two years while planning removals for heavily infested trees.
- Officials warn the pest could kill roughly 20% of Colorado Springs’ trees over about 10 to 15 years and say managing the outbreak will drive long-term costs for removals, replanting and homeowner treatments.
- Foresters stress simple steps residents can take: identify ash trees, report suspected sightings, do not move firewood, and chip or properly dispose of infested wood to slow local spread.