With the emerald ash borer expected to kill nearly all of Pennsylvania’s ash trees, local arborists urge removal of dead trees before winter weather sets in.
BOYERTOWN, PA / ACCESS Newswire / November 5, 2026 / Merkel’s Tree Service is urging Berks County residents to check their properties for dead ash trees before the first winter storm. The emerald ash borer has spread through southeastern Pennsylvania, and the dead ash trees it leaves behind are dry, weakened, and prone to failing in bad weather.
The invasive beetle has now been confirmed in every Pennsylvania county, according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). DCNR counts about 308 million ash trees in the state’s forests. Don Eggen, who led forest pest management in DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, said that 99 percent of Pennsylvania’s ash trees are expected to die.
The losses are now widespread enough that state foresters are searching for survivors. DCNR forest health staff are working with the U.S. Forest Service to find “lingering” ash, trees that have survived the beetle in natural settings. In early 2025, the report notes, they collected cuttings from 14 such trees across 10 Pennsylvania counties to breed resistant ash.
With losses on that scale, dead and dying ash are likely standing on many properties in the region. Those near homes, driveways, roads, and power lines pose the greatest risk. The warning applies to homeowners, property managers, homeowners associations, and municipalities responsible for trees in those locations.
DCNR has reported that infested ash grow weaker from the start of an infestation. That makes them more prone to trunk breakage and to toppling in high wind. As a dead ash dries out, its wood turns brittle and snaps under the weight of ice and the force of winter wind. These are the trees that drop large limbs or fall onto houses, vehicles, and utility lines during a storm.
Once leaves drop in the fall, a dead ash can look much like the healthy trees around it that have gone dormant for winter. As a result, the hazard is hardest to spot just as storm season begins.
“A lot of people don’t realize the dead ash in their backyard is the tree most likely to come down in a storm,” said Chris Merkel, owner of Merkel’s Tree Service. “The wood gets brittle, and once the ice hits, it doesn’t hold. We’d always rather take one down on a calm day than pull it off someone’s roof at 2 a.m.”
Arborists look for several signs that an ash tree is dead or failing:
- Bare or thinning branches in the upper canopy
- Splitting bark, or pale “blond” patches where woodpeckers have stripped bark to reach beetle larvae
- Small D-shaped exit holes in the bark
- Heavy woodpecker activity and an unusual buildup of fallen branches beneath the tree
Property owners across Berks County who are concerned about a dead or hazardous ash tree can arrange a professional assessment and removal through Merkel’s Tree Service.
About Merkel’s Tree Service
Merkel’s Tree Service is a Boyertown, Pennsylvania, tree care company serving residential and commercial property owners across Berks County and the surrounding areas. Founded in 2021, the company provides tree removal, tree trimming, stump grinding, crane-assisted removal, land clearing, hazardous tree assessment, and emergency storm response. Its crew includes ISA-certified arborists, and the company is fully licensed and insured. More information is available at https://merkelstreeservice.com/.
Media Contact:
Chris Merkel
484-663-1577
Merkelstreeservice@gmail.com
SOURCE: Merkel’s Tree Service
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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