Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

Page 2B • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove SEPTEMBER 2016 Find Out Who Won This Season! 3 MONTHS FOR $ 33.00 With our Fall Sports Package, the offer is GOOD! Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip _________________________________________________________________________ Phone ( ) ______________________ E-mail ______________________________________________ Check Enclosed Bill my: Credit Cared Number ___________________________________________________________________ Exp. Date _____________Signature ________________________________________________________ SC: HouseAd RC: WF3MPROMO *New subscribers only. Those who have not subscribed in 60 days. Payment must accompany order to qualify for offer. Waukesha County addresses only. Offer expires 10/1/16. (262) 542-2500 Please mail payment and form to: The Freeman, PO Box 7 Waukesha, WI 53187 Or click on the FREEMAN link at gmtoday.com/wfpromo Thank you for subscribing. Delivery will begin soon. Yes that is the Yes that is the Winning Team! Winning Team! Yes that is the Winning Team! Send me 13 weeks of home delivery for 33.00 - my payment is enclosed. SAVE $6.00 off regular rate! Bill my credit card $11.00 per month on a continual basis. A must for area high school football fans. Emerald ash borer keeps boring along By Andrea Fencl Freeman Staff WAUKESHA — The emer- ald ash borer continues to make an impact on ash trees in the Waukesha area and the state of Wisconsin. In fact, Dan Gustin of Green Man Tree and Land- scape said there was a vast increase of the number of trees affected by the ash borer in the past year, although he did not have specific numbers. Accord- ing to an email from Donna Gilson of the Wisconsin Department of Agricul- ture, Trade and Consumer Protection, 38 counties are affected by the emerald ash borer. It is about a half-inch long and is iridescent green in color. Gilson wrote that most people see the damage caused by the larvae, but don't see the insect itself. The emerald ash borer lives one year. "The adults lay eggs on the bark of the ash tree in summer, then die. The eggs hatch in 7-10 days. They are tiny, and burrow into the bark without making a mark," said Gilson. "They begin feeding in the wood under the bark, making an S-shaped pattern back and forth, cutting the arteries that carry water and nutri- ents to the leaves as they do. This is what causes the damage and ultimately kills the tree. "This goes on for about 300 days. Then they 'pupate,' similar to a cocoon stage for about 28 days. They emerge from the pupa as adults, and chew their way through the bark, making the distinctive D- shaped exit hole that is vis- ible. Males live about 13 days, females up to 25 days. They don't cause damage as adults; they only reproduce and then die. They may fly up to 2 miles to find a mate." Moving firewood is the No. 1 way that the emerald ash borer is spread, Gilson said. The Department of Natural Resources pro- hibits bringing firewood from over 10 miles away onto any state land. Tree- cutting businesses that handle hardwood in the 38 counties and three sur- rounding counties that are under quarantine have to work with the DATCP or the U.S. Department of Agriculture to minimize the risk of spreading the insect. Although removing the trees gives companies busi- ness, Gustin believes it's unfortunate. "I'm a tree hugger; I pre- fer trees to be standing," Gustin said. If the crown, or top, of the tree begins to thin out and the leaves become dis- colored it's possibly the work of the emerald ash borer. The presence of woodpeckers on the south- east side of the tree is also a possible sign of invasion, Gustin explained. Other signs as described by Gilson include cracks in the bark, D-shaped exit holes, and S-shaped tunnels under the bark. 'Once the signs show, it's too late' Most of the ash trees that are called in are too far gone to be helped. But pre- ventive care is possible to ensure the health and safe- ty of other ash trees. Injec- tions can be given as a proactive way to protect the trees, said Gustin. "Once the signs show, it's too late," he said. Depending on the weath- er and how many trees are on a customer's property, Gustin believes he treats about 20 trees a day. The diameter of the tree is measured to determine how much of the chemical should be injected and how many holes should be drilled into the tree. Once the holes are drilled, tubes attached to pressurized tanks are inserted into the holes. Then the air inside the tank is released to allow the chemical to enter the tree. Treatment costs between $12 to $14 per inch of the diameter.The trees should be treated every two to three years. Gilson also said home- owners can purchase prod- ucts at garden stores that can be mixed into water and poured into the soil. Gustin does not believe that the emerald ash borer will be completely con- trolled. "There's a lot of ash trees in the area," Gustin said. "Nature will take its course." Information about treat- ment can be found at emer- aldashborer.wi.gov and cer- tified arborists can be found at www.waa-isa.org. Email: afencl@conleynet.com Pesky bug causing trouble for ash trees locally and beyond Andrea Fencl/ Special to The Freeman Dan Gustin of Green Man Tree and Landscape drills holes into the base of an ash tree for treatment. Andrea Fencl/ Special to The Freeman An adult emerald ash borer will be about half an inch long and iridescent green in color. Companies increase emphasis on team-building By Chris Bucher Freeman Staff WAUKESHA — Over 100 employees gathered under the summer sun, exerting their energy and showcasing endurance levels in search of a career-defining achieve- ment on a recent Tuesday. No, it wasn't an outdoor competition to find the fastest typer or top seller. Instead, employees at the Internation- al Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans in Brookfield worked together in teams of four to find which would walk away with the top crown at the inaugural Office Olympics. "It was a great success," said Julie Stich, research director for the IFEBP. "Everyone had a lot of fun, there was a lot of laughter and people doing silly things. Different people got together and competed, and competi- tion is always a fun thing. Five events were held dur- ing the Olympics, all of which — except one — cen- tered around office activities. There was "boxing," where competitors donned boxing gloves and attempted to stack as many cardboard boxes as possible while trying to beat the clock. There was "sharpery," where teams played an archery-like game using Sharpie markers. Then, there was "wasketball," where teams crumpled paper and attempted to defy windy conditions and throw a paper ball into a nearby garbage can. The final event of the day was a team-oriented event that resembled rowing. Employees used their office chairs to form a line while moving as fast as they could across the office parking lot. Each participating team was given a country to represent, and the winner of the overall medal count was Madagascar. It's team-building activities like the IFEBP's that help build a healthy work environ- ment and camaraderie throughout the entire staff, Stich said. Different departments from companies such as Generac Power Systems have also made strides in improving the atmosphere in the work- place. From outings at Milwaukee Brewers games to charitable giving with healthy activities — such as cancer walks or runs — businesses are encouraging employees to have positive interactions with each other both during the work day and outside it. "Through a triad of healthy living education — live healthy, work healthy, be healthy — Generac places a large emphasis on dynamic wellness programs for all employees," Generac Health and Wellness Manager Chris- tine Reichardt said. No matter the company, Stich said it's vital to orga- nize some kind of activity for employees to build relation- ships with one another. Not only does it make for a posi- tive workplace, but it can also improve some personal traits in employees, she said. "Team building is critical for a successful organiza- tion," Stich said. "In order for team morale to be high and to have honest communication, team building is critical — it's not only good for the orga- nization, but also for the employee and their overall well-being." A recent, growing trend While the turn toward team-building activities isn't quite new to the business world, such a growth in well- ness initiatives is fairly recent. According to data provided by the IFEBP, of the 479 inter- national companies surveyed in 2015, 55 percent now have budgets devoted exclusively to wellness and more than four in five offer some type of wellness program. Flu shot programs are offered by 71 percent of companies, while smoking-cessation programs accounted for 54 percent of respondents. Of the different wellness initiatives, competi- tions (42 percent) and health coaching (39 percent) were the two most popular. Email: cbucher@conleynet.com

• Cover