From bark beetles and grasshoppers to caterpillars and other pests, many types of insects can cause severe damage to your trees. Trees are a beautiful aspect of your property’s curb appeal, and they offer other considerable benefits. These include energy savings, a boost in property value, and protection from the elements. The devastation caused by a pest infestation, however, can damage and even kill trees. One of the best steps that you can take to prevent a serious infestation is to schedule professional tree service on a regular basis.
Prevent Tree Defoliation
Your trees’ foliage is essential for their health, and the leaves also play a vital role in growth. Many types of insects, however, munch on the leaves. By doing so, they leave holes in or even destroy full leaves. It may be difficult to spot signs of leaf-damaging insects from the ground level, but a professional arborist has the training and eagle eye to identify a worrisome issue sooner. This allows you to take prompt action and minimize defoliation.
Address Bark Damage
Other pests cause significant damage to the bark. These woodboring insects do more than affect the appearance of your trees. Once they bore through the outer layers of the bark, they feast on the interior layers of the bark. These layers have critical nutrients that trees rely on. This causes a significant risk of tree death. Some woodboring insects leave damage that you can spot at the ground level, but others start damaging the tree higher up. In addition, damage may be difficult to see initially due to the initially small size of the bores.
Tackle Root Rot
Woodboring insects do more than eat the trees’ nutrients. They also can cause fungal growth. This growth causes the trees to rot on the inside. As a result, the tree and its roots can weaken and decay to the point where the tree can no longer survive. Identifying the signs of a fungal infection early on gives you the chance to address the problem before the tree dies.
Minimize Disease
In the local area, tree diseases like Dutch elm disease, anthracnose, oak wilt, and beech leaf disease are common. Many diseases are introduced to trees by pests. Diseases cause tree stress from issues like wilting and spotted leaves, dieback, and more. Once a disease is identified, the tree may be saved through pruning and other strategies. However, if the disease spreads throughout a large area of the tree, the tree may need to be removed.
It’s difficult for the average person to spot developing pest problems, so tree damage may already be severe by the time you identify an issue. Routine tree service plays an essential role in preventing expensive pest problems. To schedule pest management for your trees, contact Tree Specialists in Holliston, MA today.
