Ash tree removal in Little Rock as emerald ash borer spreads

Ash trees killed by emerald ash borer

Signs are a thinning crown from the top down, small D-shaped holes in the bark, vertical bark splits, sprouts from the lower trunk, and woodpeckers flaking the bark to reach larvae. By the time several of those show together, the tree is usually past saving. We confirm what we see, then plan a removal that accounts for how brittle the wood has become, often with a bucket truck instead of a climb when the crown is mostly dead and the wood cannot be trusted to hold a climber.

Local market guidance: $506 to $690 for a typical removal; large trees over 60 feet or hard-access trees run about $1,000 to $1,200 (planning range from published 2026 figures, not our quote; every job is priced on site).

Dead ash over the house

A dead ash over a roof, driveway or play area is a priority removal. Dry limbs can break under a climber's weight or drop in a moderate wind. We lower every piece over structures on ropes or lift it with a crane where there is no landing space, and we look at nearby ash trees while we are there, because trees within the same yard are usually infested at the same time. A second ash that still looks healthy may be worth watching or treating before it goes the same way.

Ash wood and firewood rules

Arkansas has had a statewide quarantine on ash items since 2018. Firewood of any hardwood cannot leave the state without meeting federal rules, and ash logs, chips and branches carry the same limits. Inside Arkansas the wood can be chipped, hauled locally or cut as firewood for your own use. We keep infested wood from being carried to places it should not go. If you burn wood, burn it where it was cut rather than hauling it to a cabin or campsite elsewhere, which is how the beetle travels farthest.