Common Tree Insects & Pests

Common Tree Insects & Pests in Northern Virginia

One of the greatest threats to a healthy tree is insect infestation. Tree insects and pests can be a big obstacle to keeping your trees looking healthy and beautiful. If your trees aren’t looking their best, common tree insect pests may be the problem. There are a number of pests and insects that damage trees. Here are a few big ones to look out for:

• Aphids: Possibly the healthy tree’s most common enemy. These tiny-leaf eating bugs multiply fast, causing changes in the leaves and stunting of shoots. Some even inject a toxin into plants. Sucking insects like aphids also excrete a substance known as honeydew, which can lead to a mold fungus.
• Beetles: Beetles like the black turpentine beetle tend to attack the lower trunk of pines, creating pitch tubes in bark crevices on the lower tree bole, while the Douglas fir bark beetle is a major threat to fir trees.
• Borers: The first reports of the insect known as the emerald ash borer was of it killing ash trees in Michigan and Canada at the turn of the century. It has also been reported throughout the Midwest and in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and its reach may still be spreading.
• Worms: The fall webworm feeds on almost 100 different species of North American trees, especially fruit trees, spinning unsightly silk webs as they go.
• Moths: Moths can be brutal to trees. The Douglas fir tussock moth, for example, has caused massive defoliation of trees all across the western United States. Moth larvae can cause massive damage to fruit-bearing trees.
• Spider Mites: Spider mites are members of the mite family that live underneath leaves, weave unsightly webs and damage trees and other plants as they feed on them. They adapt quickly to pesticides and are a blight on hundreds of tree species.

What to Do if You Suspect You Have a Tree Pest or Insect Infestation

These are just a few of the common tree insect pests that can threaten your trees, damaging roots, stripping bark and defoliating branches. Fortunately, you can treat this problem with the right tree services. When you need tree services in northern Virginia, the company to call is Richard’s Tree Service. Richard’s Tree Service provides a complete range of services to treat tree infestations.

The tree experts at Richard’s Tree Service are arborists, not landscapers, which means they know trees. Our certified arborists can examine your tree for pest infestation and damage and know just what to do. We’ll save what we can and clear away the rest for you to preserve the health of your trees.

If you suspect that you have a diseased tree, a tree suffering from insect and pest infestation or you need another type of tree service, contact the licensed, bonded, insured experts at Richard’s Tree Service today for a free on-site assessment and estimate of your specific tree care situation.