Emerald ash borer beetles infest hundreds of Montreal trees

A bite-sized pest is causing a million-dollar problem for the city of Montreal.

Its attacking all our trees,- Peter McQueen, Cte-des-NeigesNDG city councillor

The emerald ash borer is a type of beetle that infests ash trees and eats them from the inside.

City of Montreal officials say that roughly 200 trees on the island are currently infested.

In the borough of Cte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce, 75 trees have already been cut down.

The emerald ash borer knows no borders Its attacking all our trees. We believe a concerted plan must be put in effect right away. Theres no point in waiting. It is here and it is killing trees right now, said Cte-des-NeigesNDG councillor Peter McQueen, adding that the summer months will be more uncomfortable with fewer trees in the neighbourhood.

"Property values will fall, air conditioning costs will go up and during heat waves even more people elderly people, vulnerable people with respiratory problems will pass away during those heat waves if we lose more trees.

More funding required

City officials say theyve put aside $1 million a year to tackle the problem, but agreeit isnt enough to get rid of the beetles. They want help from the province.

I dont believe we will solve this issue only with the public money coming from the administration of Montreal, said Ral Mnard, the citys executive committee member in charge of sustainable development.

Mnard said the city hopes the next Quebec government will jump in with funding for better treatments for ash trees and better screeningfor the bug.