Dead & Ash Tree Removal in St. Louis, MO

Dead and ash tree removal has been steady work in St. Louis since emerald ash borer was confirmed in Creve Coeur in August 2015. The beetle's larvae tunnel under the bark and cut off the tree's water and nutrient flow, and untreated ash trees eventually die. A dead tree of any species becomes harder to remove the longer it stands, because the wood dries, cracks and loses strength, so the cost and the risk both tend to rise with time.

How to tell if your ash is infested

The Missouri Department of Agriculture's management guide lists the signs: D-shaped exit holes about an eighth of an inch wide, winding S-shaped tunnels under loose bark, new sprouts along the trunk and branches, more woodpecker activity, and thinning leaves or dying branches at the top of the crown. Woodpeckers flaking off the outer bark often leave pale patches on the trunk that are easy to spot from the ground.

Treat or remove?

The same guide suggests treatment when the beetle is within 15 miles or in your county, which now describes the St. Louis area, but only for trees that are healthy, growing well and showing less than 50% dieback. Trees past that point are unlikely to recover even with treatment, and small trees or trees crowded against lines, houses or sidewalks are often not worth years of repeated treatments. For an ash you decide not to protect, the guide's advice is to remove it before it dies to save money, and to dispose of the wood locally so you do not spread the insect.

Rules in the city

The City of St. Louis Forestry Division says privately owned ash trees are the landowner's responsibility, and no permit is needed to remove or treat one. Under the city's tree ordinance, a private ash that dies or becomes hazardous can be treated as a nuisance, and the owner can receive a notice to remove it. Ash street trees in the tree lawn are city trees; the city has an interactive map showing which ones it plans to treat or remove, and residents can apply for a free Ash Permit to pay for treatment of the city ash next to their property.

Other dead and dying trees

Ash is the most common, but not the only one. Pin oaks in alkaline soil can decline from iron chlorosis, which shows as yellow leaves with green veins and later twig dieback. Old silver maples hollow out. Trees damaged in the 2025 tornado or later storms may die back over a few seasons. We look at each one and tell you whether it is a removal or something that can wait.