What are my options?

If you have an ash tree in your yard or on the city owned property in front of your home, you should learn about your options before taking any action.  Visiting the website of your municipal and/or regional forestry departments will inform you of any programs that exist surrounding the control of EAB, and will indicate what measures are in place regarding trees planted on publicly owned land, including boulevard trees.

 

If your tree appears to be healthy….

TREATMENT

While infested ash trees will succumb to the pest, healthy ash trees that are not yet infested or in the very early stages of infestation, can be treated. Currently TreeAzin™, derived from the neem tree, is the only product registered for use in Canada against EAB.  It is injected into the tree near the base and must be done by a licensed applicator.  If your ash tree appears healthy, consider treatment with TreeAzin™ injections. You can learn more about TreeAzin™ or find licensed applicator in your area here.

If you live in Toronto and have an ash tree on the city-owned property in front of your home, you are allowed to treat it at your own cost. 

If you live in York Region, check with your muncipality for details.

 

If your tree is infested…

REMOVAL

If you decide to remove a tree on private property, you will have to incur the cost yourself.  There may be removal permits required - check with your municipality.  We recommend hiring an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture for any tree work.  For a list of certified arborists in your area, visit  treesaregood.com or call 1-888-463-2316.

In both the City of Toronto and York Region, infested trees that are located on the city-owned property in front of homes will be removed by municipal/regional forestry staff and replaced at no cost to homeowners.

 

Municipal Links

REPLANTING

We encourage everyone who has space to plant new trees to replace those that have been or will be lost to EAB.  Even if you haven't personally lost a tree to EAB, planting new trees can help maintain the overall urban forest canopy.

LEAF is here to make it easy for you to select and plant the right EAB-resistant native trees for your yard through our subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program. Our service includes an arborist consultation, where we can help you identify ash trees on or near your property.  We will also provide information on your options for treatment/removal and replanting.  Our EAB programs are made possible with support from Livegreen Toronto, York Region and the City of Markham's Trees for Tomorrow Fund.

Click here to learn more about our Residential Planting Programs.

If you live in the city of Toronto and want a free tree for the city-owned portion of your front yard, you can request a free one by filling out the form here or by calling 311.

*Please note that it is LEAF’s policy to carry out replants only after tree removal has been completed; however, exceptions to this policy and to our spacing requirements may be made where it is anticipated that an ash tree will be removed from a property in the future due to EAB.