28 FEB 2019
As the spring warmer air arrives, our trees look better with sprouting flowers, blooming canopy, and a glowing appearance. However, it is the season when pests resume their activities, and if not checked or prevented, you will be faced with insect infestation on your trees.
Some of the first signs to look out for as the trees flourish and thrive are damages to leaves, limbs and stems which could be vulnerable to these creepy-crawlies. In some instances, insect infestation is noticed when it's too late to eradicate, and this is because most homeowners are careless when it comes to tree care.
If you have fruit trees, citrus, palms or the shade trees in your property, this is just the right time to look closely at their stems and leaves because there is a plethora of insects that could damage them.
In case you don't have the time, or you have noticed insect infestation on your trees, call arborists at Sesmas Tree Service, and the bug problem will be solved.
For homeowners who'd like to inspect their trees, the insects to look out for are lace bugs, aphids, pine beetles, cankerworms and emerald ash borers.
Scale insects
They are sap-sucking pests with diverse species and can attach themselves to the leaves, twigs, fruits, and branches of host plants. They rob the plants of essential nutrients to produce waste that looks like sticky honeydew.
Ants, bees, flies, wasps are attracted to the trees that are infested with the scale insects to cause more problems. Scale insects are considered as the worst pests on trees and should be identified as fast as possible because it is hard to eradicate.
When the leaves of your tree appear yellow, twig dieback or the plant look water stressed, there is every possibility that the tree is attacked by any species of the scale insect.
Cankerworms
When the leaves of your tree are chewed, and they drop off prematurely during spring, then the problem could be Cankerworms.
These insects feed on the leaves of trees as well as strip the trees of important nutrients. The trees that are mostly attacked by the cankerworms are the oak tree, cherry, apple, maple, beech, and ash.
The Emerald Ash Borer
The North American Ash trees are targeted by these pests and can kill the trees within two years of infestation. They bore the trees and eat up the tissue beneath the tree bark as well as take away other nutrients from the trees.
When the sections of the tree canopy die, or the tree bark split vertically, it is a sign that the Emerald Ash Borer is active on the tree.
Aphids
Just like the scale insects, the Aphids feed on tree leaves and stems leaving sugary substance called the honeydew. That substance prevents sunlight intake and lead to leaf dropping.
Stunted growth and leafy curling are some of the symptoms to look out for.
Spring tree insects could cause a lot of damages on trees and can kill the tree when left untreated.
Have you noticed any of the above-mentioned symptoms or pests on your trees? Then all you need to do is call arborists at Sesmas Tree Service for tree evaluation and treatment.
