Tree pests are most active during summer. While many species first infest trees in spring or early summer, their offspring emerge from those trees in late summer. This circumstance, as well as the ease of spotting leaf abnormalities during months when most trees have foliage, has led to August’s title as the annual tree check month. So, contact an arborist to inspect your trees for Japanese beetles, emerald ash borers, Asian long-horned beetles, mountain pine beetles, and aphids. If they discover a devastating infestation, professionals can provide tree removal services.
Timber Works Tree Care offers tree service in Winchester, VA, and the surrounding areas. We provide comprehensive arboreal services for residential and commercial properties. Although we emphasize preventative tree care—such as tree trimming, tree cabling, and invasive shrub removal—we also offer land clearing and deadwood solutions. Contact us at (540) 692-9606 to discuss your needs with a tree care professional today.
Below, we discuss the tree pests to watch for during the summer:
Japanese Beetle
Japanese beetles can strip tree foliage by feeding on leaf veins. They rarely kill trees but can weaken them, making them susceptible to secondary pests and disease. The most vulnerable trees include Norway maples, Japanese maples, crabapples, crape myrtles, pin oaks, and lindens.
You can detect Japanese beetles through the brown larvae spots they leave on lawns. Moreover, they usually appear early in the summer.
Emerald Ash Borers
Emerald ash borers (EABs) are miniature, greenish-black bugs that leave sawdust and frass—or excrement—in the crevices of trees. You can also detect them through the snake-like patterns they leave on trees’ bark. In mid-late summer, you may also notice crown dieback and yellow foliage. When EABs emerge from trees, they leave D-shaped holes in the bark.
This invasive beetle feeds on trees’ inner bark tissue and outer sapwood. In turn, they kill millions of trees by obstructing the trees’ ability to transport water and nutrients.
Asian Long-Horned Beetle
No homeowner or arborist can save a tree infested by Asian long-horn beetles. However, professionals can prevent these pests from spreading to healthy trees by removing afflicted limbs and trunks. These invasive wood borers seek out hardwood varieties, including elms, birches, maples, buckeyes, and willows. Planting another tree variety between two hardwoods also helps prevent infestations.
Signs of Asian long-horn beetles include:
- Oozing sap
- Drooping or yellowing leaves
- Dime-sized holes in the limbs and trunk
- Sawdust
- Dead limbs
- Scars in the bark
Mountain Pine Beetle
Mountain pine beetles are small bark beetles that make their home inside the bark of limber pine and ponderosa trees. They feed on the tree’s inner bark and leave a blue stain fungus on the sapwood. You cannot save an infested tree, but you can apply a preventative treatment that kills the beetles before they enter.
Infested trees may show evidence of popcorn-like masses, which are where the beetle enters the bark. Additionally, the tree’s needles may turn red.
Aphids
Aphids are sap-sucking insects that usually do not cause tremendous harm to a tree. They leave behind a sticky syrup called honeydew, which can collect sooty mold. You may also notice stunted leaf growth and curling or yellow leaves. Yet an arborist and trees service can treat and save a tree infested by aphids.
Affordable Tree Removal Services in Winchester, VA
Seek Timber Works Tree Care for the lowest tree removal costs in Winchester, VA. We relentlessly pursue safety, excellent communication, and excellent customer service. We provide effective solutions for infested trees yet also offer tree removal services for those we cannot save. Call us at (540) 692-9606 to schedule your tree removal service for this winter, which is usually the cheapest time of year to have a tree cut down.
