Tree pests are the worst. Unfortunately, your beautiful, lush trees may fall victim to some of these homicidal insects. Sadly, it’s one of the most common challenges that face tree-owning homeowners. Here are three of the most common tree plaguing pests. Stay vigilant, and protect your trees from these ruthless killers.
1. Aphids
Aphids are sap-suckers, similar to scale insects. They eat your trees’ sap and leave behind honeydew, which is a sticky syrup. Look at the undersides of your leaves to check for aphids. You can also check for a dark mold that looks like soot – this mold is drawn to the sticky honeydew that aphids leave behind. If left to thrive, aphids can make your tree’s leaves curl up and turn yellow. They can also prevent the growth of new leaves, or make those leaves grow in a stunted way.
2. Bark Beetles
Bark beetles are wood-boring insects, much like the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Wood-boring insects can strike conifers and hardwoods alike. The beetles eat the leaves (or needles) of these trees, but it isn’t the leaf-eating that hurts these trees. It’s the spores that the beetles transmit as they go from tree to tree – these spores spread a number of fatal diseases. If you have a conifer and you see reddish-brown needles at the tree’s top, spreading downward, this could indicate bark beetles. On hardwoods, you might see little blobs on the outside of the bark – these may resemble tubes, and can be white or brown.
3. Eastern Ten Caterpillars
These nasty critters defoliate the trees they infest. They show up just as trees start budding in the early spring. They most often attack sugar maples, aspens, oaks, and other hardwoods. If you see big silken tents on the limbs of your tree, or stripped leaves, this might indicate the presence of these caterpillars.
If you identify or suspect any of these creepy critters, please call your local tree service immediately. Any type of pest infestation is far easier to handle when it’s early and your tree is still relatively healthy than later when we have to both remove the pests and try to save your tree at the same time. Pest infestations are not a “wait and see” situation – they don’t get better on their own. Some of the interventions for the removal of invasive pests are remarkably simple, if done early. If you’re worried about the health of your trees, call us here at Tree Images. We can check for pests and help get rid of them as soon as possible.
