They came up the Great Lakes -- swarms of insects infesting towns one by one as they made their way across the United States. City workers armed themselves with chain saws and took to the streets to protect their communities as the creatures arrived.
It's no campy horror flick. It's what has played out in communities across the Fox Valley since the emerald ash borer arrived in the Midwest in 2002.
Michael Smart | Staff Photographer
But if it were, Jim Toth of Elgin could be the Bruce Campbell of the emerald ash borer infestation saga.
Locally, the insect has infested Elgin, South Elgin, Hampshire, West Dundee, St. Charles, Campton Hills, Geneva and Batavia, among other communities in Kane County. Their larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, killing the trees by disrupting their ability to transport water and nutrients.
Those communities now are cutting down the infested ash trees in their public places, trying to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer. City and village workers maintain that's the only guaranteed way to control the insect.
But Toth -- who has operated Green Blades of Summer, a lawn fertilizing business, for several years -- said he doesn't think that is necessary.
This spring, he plans to take the battle to the trees across the Fox Valley, calling himself the "Tree Doc." He's got a new product called TREE-í¤ge that's injected into an ash tree's roots and supposedly kills emerald ash borers and other insects feeding on it.
Here's what Toth has learned in his battle against the bugs so far:
1. How did you get into the emerald ash borer-battling business? I've been doing yardwork, fertilizing yards, for years. People always asked me if I sprayed trees. I would never spray trees or do root saturation. ... You get that on the doorknob, you get it on the screens, you get it on the kids and they put their hands in their mouths. I've always had an interest in it, though.
After 2002, (Arborjet) came up with a solution (that can be injected into a tree's roots). ... I've got an eight-page report that says what we are using is the best for stopping the emerald ash borer infestation.
2. Can you tell if a tree is infested? Not so much without checking on the tree to see the holes where the insects come out. The first thing they're going to notice is the top of the tree is going bare. You've got to get to it then.
3. Is there as much a cause for concern about the emerald ash borer infestation as people seem to believe?
It's warranted if you want to keep your tree. ... People are very upset, especially because these towns are just taking these trees down. They get their crews, they get their chain saws, they get their chopper, they get their truck.
4. Does the whole thing remind you of a horror movie? Yeah, absolutely. These things -- 30 million trees is a lot of trees. A lot of trees. The state of Michigan is in turmoil.
It's unbelievable how it happened, too -- coming in on a ship and its cargo. How many? One bug? And now (there's) millions and millions of bugs. One bug lays millions of eggs.
5. Do you have a favorite horror movie? The old Alfred Hitchcocks used to tickle my bones years ago. Otherwise, no. I don't watch a lot of movie-type stuff. I like a good suspense, but I don't do the hatchet stuff.
For more information, contact "Tree Doc" Jim Toth at 847-888-8890 or treedocjim@yahoo.net. To learn more about the emerald ash borer, visit emeraldashborer.info.