Colorado Springs officials confirmed this week that the emerald ash borer, a destructive invasive beetle, has been detected within city limits — a development that threatens a significant share of the local urban forest. The beetle has been confirmed in the city, putting at risk 20% of the canopy in Colorado Springs — one in five trees.
Officials said the EAB was recently found in the Palmer Park and Powers area. It is a small metallic green beetle native to Asia that has killed tens of millions of ash trees throughout North America. With 20% of the Colorado Springs tree canopy made up of ash trees, the city has been preparing for more than a decade after the bug was first detected in Colorado in 2013. The insect showed up in the central U.S., then was found in Boulder in 2023, and is now in Colorado Springs.
The beetle's destructive mechanism is twofold. It feeds underneath the bark on the cambium layer of the tree, essentially cutting off all central nutrients, and it also carries a fungus on its feet that rapidly spreads the rate of decomposition. The larval stage can last up to two years and kills the tree before the beetle emerges in the spring as an adult and mates in early summer, continuing the cycle. If left untreated, every ash tree in the city could die in the next 10 to 15 years.
City Forester Matthew Puckett called the situation "serious, but not unexpected." Officials said the highest concentration of ash trees is in the Old North End and in the Village Seven and Broadmoor neighborhoods. Just a small number of trees in Colorado Springs are infected right now, but officials expect the bug to move throughout the city in the short term — though they note the good news is that EAB moves slower in Colorado Springs compared to other parts of the U.S. because of the climate.
The city's management plan includes selecting high-value ash trees for rotating treatments, shadow planting — placing new trees beside mature ash trees — and removing dead ash trees for public safety. The effort is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the years ahead. Colorado Springs also banned planting ash trees in public spaces over a decade ago.
For private property owners, officials outlined both warning signs and options. Signs of infestation can include thinning leaves in the upper canopy, dead branches, and D-shaped exit holes. According to the Colorado State Forest Service, the cost of removal runs roughly ten times more expensive than treating a tree. While the city can only act on public or city-owned land, officials say private property owners should have a certified professional assess any tree they believe may be infected.
Foresters warn that the most common way the borer spreads is through the movement of wood piles, and they are asking residents not to move wood piles; if cutting down an infected tree, the best option is to chip it rather than turn it into logs. The city says a public awareness campaign has been designed to help residents identify ash trees, recognize signs of infestation, and understand available resources.
The city has not announced a timeline for a full canopy assessment, and residents with concerns about ash trees on private property are advised to consult a certified arborist before next spring's treatment window opens.