Arlington’s parks crew is sounding the alarm after officials confirmed emerald ash borer in Tarrant County, and they want residents to check their own yards, not just city parks.
In a warning posted Thursday, Arlington Parks & Recreation shared photos of the tiny metallic-green beetle’s damage and urged homeowners to inspect ash trees for trouble, avoid hauling firewood around North Texas and report anything suspicious to the statewide hotline at 1-866-322-4512. Staff reminded residents that ash trees pull their weight in the neighborhood ecosystem, providing shade, wildlife habitat, stormwater benefits and cleaner air. City crews, they said, will be keeping a close eye on park trees while the county coordinates a broader response.
How the beetle kills ash trees
The emerald ash borer does its worst work out of sight. Its larvae tunnel into the tree’s phloem, carving winding S-shaped galleries under the bark that cut off water and nutrients. Once that internal plumbing is disrupted, affected trees decline and can die within a few years.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, early infestations can be subtle. Homeowners may see thinning crowns, D-shaped exit holes in the bark, vertical bark splits and new sprouts shooting from the trunk as the tree tries to compensate.
What Arlington is telling residents to look for
In its post, Arlington Parks & Recreation walked residents through the hands-on signs to watch for: D-shaped exit holes in ash bark, splitting bark, leafy shoots popping out of the trunk and dead or dying branches up in the canopy. They also slipped in a firm reminder about firewood: do not move it around if you can help it…