It's summertime here in Connecticut, with a forecast today and tomorrow of 90 degrees, the grass is green, the sun in shining, and the roads are full of different landscaping companies and tree companies going from job to job. Currently, here at Austin Corporation, we are undertaking the transformation of two different properties, removing trees & stumps, bringing in fill and top soil, and creating new usable parts of yards that the homeowners never were able to enjoy before.

The photo below show a property we have been able to work at a few different times the past few years. The top photo shows what it looked like as we started, a crowded bunch of trees that impeded each others growth, and a ground that turned to muck whenever it rained. After trees were selected for removal, stumps were dug out, 60+ yards of fill was brought in, 30+ yards of topsoil installed, we graded and pitched the yard into a drainage system that was linked to the storm drain on the street. The bottom photo shows the end result, when we returned to the same yard to install a gravel pad for a new shed, and a pea stone bed for a playscape.

Before & After photos of a yard Austin Corporation transformed.

Have a problem tree you need removed? We can do that safely and efficiently. Have a property with unusable space because of trees and drainage issues? As you see above, we have a solution for you as well. Contact us today, and we can arrange for a consultation & estimate.

Officials from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced yesterday that a quarantine will be established in Essex County to stop the spread of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The quarantine will take effect Tuesday, April 1st, 2014.

This decision comes after the December 2013 discovery of EAB in North Andover as well as an extensive survey of the affected area and public hearings.

"The Emerald Ash Borer poses a very serious threat to ash trees across the Commonwealth," said DCR Commissioner Jack Murray. "We believe a county-wide quarantine of Essex County provides the best chance for slowing the spread of this invasive species."

The quarantine order means that certain products will be regulated from moving outside the contained area, including:

All hardwood firewood (any piece of wood smaller than 48")
All ash nursery stock and any ash lumber that has not been treated

EAB warning signs include:

Thinning of the upper canopy of the tree
Increased woodpecker activity
Early summer/fall leaf loss
"D-shaped" holes in the bark of the tree
Epicormic sprouting

Proper wood treatments include:

The removal of bark and half an inch of wood
Dry kiln sterilization
Fumigation and heat treatments

The initial survey of the area revealed that no trees were found to have EAB larvae present except in the initial area of infestation, according to the DCR. Plans for future surveys are currently being discussed and EAB traps will be utilized again this summer across Massachusetts. Approximately 100 ash trees will be girdled in Essex County and will serve as trap trees to continue to help identify the extent of the infestation.

http://tcia.org/news/business/pest-alert-emerald-ash-borer-quarantine-massachusetts-begin-april-1