The emerald ash borer has yet to strike ash trees in Bolingbrook and Woodridge, but officials say they know it is only a matter of time before the pests make their way to the village.

“We know it is inevitable. They have appeared in Naperville, Chicago, Ottawa,” Public Works Director Mike Drey said during a June 24 Village Board meeting.

“Basically, we are getting surrounded.”

According to Drey, the village has done just about all it can do to protect itself.

“We stopped planting ash trees about five years ago when the ash borer became a problem,” Drey said. “But over the years we have planted a large number within the village, and many of our ash trees are 25 years old or older. Unfortunately, right now, Bolingbrook is surrounded by areas that have the ash borer.”

About 10,000 ash trees have been planted on village-owned property over the last several decades, that does not include the number planted on private property, Drey said.

Chris Bethel, director of public works, said the crews began eradicating young ash trees from village-owned property two years ago and has been replacing them with “a more diverse selection.”

“We’ve tried to be proactive in taking out the younger ash trees and replacing them so we will have a stronger population of trees in the future,” he added.

Five certified arborists are on staff in Woodridge, and make regular inspections of all trees for all types of diseases.

“We are monitoring the situation very closely,” Bethel said.

Bethel said the department has responded to calls from residents about trees that appear to be in distress. Although some have been inspected for the ash borer, all tests for ash borer presence have come back negative.

The ash-borer began infesting trees in the Midwest in 2002 near Detroit and in Ontario, and since then, have been responsible for the destruction of millions of trees throughout the Midwest.

The village regularly inspects trees on public property, but will assist residents who are concerned about the health of their own trees.

“If private residents suspect they have an ash tree on their property that might be under stress by ash borers, the village will send someone out to inspect the tree,” Drey said.