Emerald Ash Borer in Framingham: Treat or Remove?
By the crew at Framingham Tree Service. Updated October 2026.
Emerald ash borer is a small green beetle from Asia that kills ash trees. It was first found in Massachusetts in 2012, in the Berkshires, and has since been confirmed in Middlesex County and most of the rest of the state. Ash trees in Framingham are at risk, and many are already dying.
Do you have ash?
Ash trees have compound leaves, with five to nine leaflets on each stem, set in pairs on the branches. Mature ash bark has a diamond pattern of ridges. White ash and green ash are the two you see most in Framingham yards and along streets.
Signs of ash borer
- Thinning in the top of the tree, often starting in the upper third
- Heavy woodpecker damage, with patches of bark stripped off to show lighter wood underneath
- Small D-shaped holes in the bark where adult beetles came out
- S-shaped tunnels under loose bark
- Sprouts growing from the lower trunk
Treat or remove?
Ash trees that are still healthy, with less than about a third of the crown thinning, can often be protected with treatment injected into the trunk every couple of years. Treatment costs money over time, so it makes most sense for a large, healthy ash that shades your house or that you care about.
Once a tree has lost much of its crown, treatment rarely brings it back. At that point removal is the safer path. Dead ash dries out and gets brittle fast, which makes it dangerous to climb and more expensive to remove the longer it stands. We often have to use a bucket truck or crane instead of a climber on dead ash for that reason.
Firewood
Ash borer spreads in firewood. Burn ash wood locally, and do not haul it out of the area. When we remove an ash, we chip the brush and handle the wood in a way that keeps the beetle from spreading.
If you think you have an ash tree in trouble, call us. We will look at it and tell you honestly whether it is worth treating. Read more about tree removal, or request an estimate.
Common Questions
- Is emerald ash borer in Framingham?
- Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Middlesex County and is now established across much of Massachusetts. Any ash tree in Framingham should be considered at risk.
- Can a dying ash tree be saved?
- If less than about a third of the crown is affected, treatment can often save it. Trees in worse shape are usually better removed before they become brittle.