Emerald ash borer is a small, metallic-green beetle whose larvae tunnel under the bark of ash trees and cut off the flow of water and nutrients. Untreated ash trees usually die within a few years of becoming infested. All of Cumberland County is inside Maine’s emerald ash borer quarantine,[1] and in 2026 the Maine Forest Service reported ash dieback and mortality throughout the southern part of the state.[2]
Emerald ash borer is established in Southern Maine. It was first confirmed in Portland, Maine’s “Forest City,” in 2019.[3] Any ash tree in Cape Elizabeth should be considered at risk.
Is your Cape Elizabeth ash tree infested?
First, make sure the tree is a true ash. All true ash trees are susceptible to emerald ash borer, but mountain ash is not a true ash and is not affected.[4] Early infestations are hard to spot because the damage happens under the bark. Look for these signs, especially near the top of the tree:
- Thinning leaves and dead branches, starting at the top of the crown
- Small D-shaped exit holes in the bark, about 1/8 inch across
- Patches of light-colored bark where woodpeckers have flaked away the outer bark to reach larvae
- Shoots sprouting from the trunk or base of the tree
- Vertical splits in the bark with S-shaped tunnels underneath
How we protect ash trees in Cape Elizabeth
Injected treatments travel up through the tree’s vascular system, so they work best on ash trees with a mostly full canopy. Trees that are already declining may keep declining through the first year after treatment, then usually improve in the second.[5]
What the proposed quarantine repeal means
In July 2026, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry proposed ending the state’s emerald ash borer quarantine rules. The state said the beetle has spread anyway and proposed shifting its focus to education and tracking the beetle’s spread.[6] Changing the rules does not change the risk: for ash trees in Cape Elizabeth, treatment is still the only way to keep a valuable ash alive.
Want the full picture? Read our complete guide to emerald ash borer treatment in Southern Maine.
Ash trees and tree care in Cape Elizabeth
Emerald Ash Borer help near Cape Elizabeth
Tree Medics is based in Biddeford and works throughout Southern Maine. We also offer emerald ash borer services in nearby towns:
See all tree care in Cape Elizabeth.
Sources
- Maine Forest Service: EAB found in seven more Maine towns, with York and Cumberland counties under quarantine (2020)
- Maine Forest Service: Forest & shade tree conditions, August 2026
- Maine DACF: Emerald ash borer discovered in Portland, Maine’s “Forest City”
- Maine Forest Service: Emerald ash borer
- North Central IPM Center / Michigan State University: Insecticide options for protecting ash trees from emerald ash borer (E3075)
- Maine Public: Maine wants to end emerald ash borer quarantine (July 2026)
- Town of Cape Elizabeth: Tree Alerts – Updated Report on Local Trees and Invasive Insect Threats
- Town of Cape Elizabeth: Tree Alerts for Fall/Winter 2024 (2024)
- Town of Cape Elizabeth: Tree Alerts – Updated Report on Local Trees and Invasive Insect Threats
