Many kinds of insects live on trees harmoniously, yet some species are dangerous to tree health. Unfortunately, recognizing the early signs of an insect infestation on trees can be tough if you don’t know the common warning signs.
As top tree service specialists in Bountiful, Utah, our Green Pointe Tree Care professionals are experts at tree pest detection. Watch for the most common insect infestation symptoms below to protect your beloved trees.
Identifying Common Signs of Tree Insect Infestations
It’s easy to overlook the early warning signs of an insect infestation on trees. In many cases, property owners don’t realize their plants have a major problem until the damage is too obvious to ignore. Still, you can learn how to spot harmful pests and invasive species by learning about the problems different insect groups can cause.
Chewing Insects
As the name suggests, chewing insects eat tree leaves and needles. Their love of foliage causes defoliation, which can make an otherwise healthy tree lose its needles or leaves prematurely. Minor cases of defoliation might affect a small section of a tree’s canopy, but a severe infestation could affect the whole tree and become life-threatening for the plant.
Examples of chewing insects include:
- Gypsy moth
- Tent caterpillar
- Leaf miner
Pine Beetle Infestations
If your property has pine trees, they could be vulnerable to pine beetle infestations. Unfortunately, removing the plant entirely is usually the best option once the insects make nests in a tree. To preserve your plants, you should apply a preventative treatment and avoid an infestation.
Consequences of a pine beetle infestation include loss of needles and pine needle discoloration. If your pine trees turn a rust color, an infestation is likely in progress. These critters will eat at the tree’s inner tissues under the bark, causing needle discoloration and eventual tree death.
Wood-Boring Insects
Though younger trees in urban environments don’t often have decay or hollows that make them high hazard risks, the same isn’t true for mature trees. Wood-boring insects can cause substantial tree damage, making them one of the most destructive insect infestations for trees and shrubs.
Since insects like the emerald ash borer and Asian long-horned beetle dig tunnels and feed on trees’ inner bark, they can cause severe bark deterioration and leaf discoloration.
Preventing an Insect Infestation on Trees
Unfortunately, not all infestation treatments are effective. Using preventative treatments is best because they can keep your trees pest-free. Since some infestations occur inside the tree where the bugs aren’t as noticeable, you could unintentionally miss an infestation until it’s too late.
Address Tree Damage Symptoms With Green Pointee Tree Care
At Green Pointe Tree Care, we believe in nurturing tree health to the fullest extent, which includes diagnosing and treating any insect infestation on trees in Bountiful, Utah. Our locally owned and operated company has more than 20 years of experience. Count on our licensed, insured, and certified arborists to provide comprehensive tree health assessments to uncover and address infestations, diseases, and other complications.
Your satisfaction is our top priority, so contact us today at (801) 608-6781 to request services.