Got an Ash Tree in Dubuque? Decide This Winter: Treat or Remove

By Dubuque Tree Pros · November 2, 2026

Looking up a tall tree trunk into green compound leaves against blue sky — Photo: Rasa Vilciņa / Pexels, Pexels License

Emerald ash borer, the insect that kills ash trees, has been confirmed in all 99 Iowa counties, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. [Iowa Agriculture] If you have an ash in your Dubuque yard, winter is a good time to look at it and decide what to do before spring.

Signs of EAB

Thinning and dying branches, usually from the top and outer parts of the canopy down. [Iowa State Extension]
Leafy sprouts growing from the trunk or main branches. [Iowa Agriculture]
Bark flecking from woodpeckers feeding on the larvae, most often noticed in winter. [Iowa State Extension]
Bark splitting, S-shaped galleries under the bark and small D-shaped exit holes. [Iowa Agriculture]

Your options

Iowa State Extension lists three: wait and see, remove a declining ash and replace it with another species, or protect a healthy, valuable ash with preventive insecticide treatments. [Iowa State Extension]

To be a candidate for treatment, a tree must have less than 50% canopy thinning or less than 30% of its branches dead. Most products can only be applied by licensed pesticide applicators, treatments are best from mid-April to mid-May, and they're needed every 1 to 2 years. [Iowa State Extension]
If your ash is too damaged to treat, Iowa State says to remove it as soon as possible. Dead ash branches become brittle and fall, a hazard to people and property, and it recommends using an arborist to remove ash trees on personal property. [Iowa State Extension]
Ash trees in decline from other causes should be removed rather than treated. [Iowa State Extension]

Firewood

Use firewood from the area where it will be burned, so EAB and other pests aren't carried to new places. [Iowa Agriculture] Firewood brought indoors, especially in the first year after cutting, can have beetles emerging in the house. [Iowa State Extension]

Sources

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