New pilot project in Beaconsfield aims to protect trees from emerald ash borers

The City of Beaconsfield is taking a new approach to try to save its ash trees from emerald ash borer infestations.

It's started a three-year pilot project that involves using traps to help kill off the invasive beetles. The project costs $12,000 per year.

The traps, known as the Lindgren funnel trap, will be placed in ash trees. Inside the traps is a fungus that emits an odor that's attractive to the emerald ash borers. Once they enter the traps, they become contaminated by the fungus.

When the insect is infected, it spreads the fungus spores to other borers during mating. The insect will die within five days of being infected.

"It's a different approach to fighting the emerald ash borer," said Mayor Georges Bourelle. "It is very important that we try and protect our ash trees and keep as many as we can."

The adult beetle, named for its emerald green colour, feeds on the foliage of the tree but it's the larvae that do most of the damage. The ash borer larvae feed on the tissue of the tree beneath the bark, preventing water and nutrients from circulating throughout the tree and eventually killing it.

Targeting Angell Woods

Bourelle said the pilot project is a perfect opportunity to try and save the ash trees inside Angell Woods, an area of greenery in the West Island. Fifteen traps will be laid inside the green space.

By targeting an area dense with trees, Bourelle hopes the traps will have a more significant impact and kill more borers.