It has been more than a decade since the emerald ash borer was found in Ontario.
The green beetle - native to Asia and Russia - could cost Canada almost $2 billion to fight as it has now made its way to midwestern Ontario.
There are a couple of ways conservation employees are battling it, including with another Asian species that may offer a fix to the destructive pest.
A research project near Exeter is using the Chinese wasp, which likes to eat the borer.
The wasp is not native to Ontario and the results of the study aren’t ready, so for now, there is an inoculation process being used to buy time.
Jim Penner, with the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority, says the plan is to inject TreeAzin into ash trees to protect them.
"It's about a two-year protection against the emerald ash borer,” he says.
Kincardine homeowner John Young is willing to give TreeAzin a try.
"It's been a great shade tree for us and I just don't want to lose it. It's time for us to give it something," he says.
Inoculations can cost between $100 to $500, depending on the size of the ash tree.
“We're going to spend thousands of dollars taking down dying trees, but if we can protect them with TreeAzin then that would be much better," Penner says.
