“Does Ivy hurt trees?” is a question our arborists receive a lot from homeowners in this area. Although many people love the look of ivy growing on trees, Ivy is a threat to your tree. In fact, these aesthetically appealing vines can actually accelerate rot, steal nutrients, deprive the tree of sunlight, and cause it […]
Tree Problems
Lecanium scale is a group of common soft scale insects that feed on the sap from shade trees and woody ornamentals. If left uncontrolled, one or two major infestations can kill your tree. Currently, these insects are in their crawler stage feeding on the sap of the tree’s leaves. They will stay in this stage […]
Defoliating Insects Defoliating insects cause damage to trees and shrubs by eating their leaves or needles. By doing this, you remove the tree’s ability to use photosynthesis in order to produce the next year’s growth. This damage also increases the tree/shrubs susceptibility to be attacked by other insects and diseases. It’s important to keep any […]
Spider mites are a common enemy of anyone who cares about their landscape plants. Classified as arachnids, these tiny bugs are less than 1/20 inch long when fully mature and look like moving dots to the naked eye. Despite their size, our arborists warn that mites will start being a huge problem for homeowners in […]
Phytophthora Root Rot is an extremely damaging and widespread fungus-like organism that will rot away your trees/shrubs root system and eventually kill your tree if left untreated. In the worst cases, when left untreated trees can become structurally unsafe and uproot or snap possibly causing property damage and injury. On older plants may show symptoms […]
Lace bugs are small 1/4″ long insect with wings that damage plants. They are named after their flat lace-like wings. There are many different kinds of lace bugs but the ones we see the most in the DC Metro area are Azalea lace bugs, Stephanitis pyrioides. Our Arborists recommend that homeowners keep a close eye […]
Boxwood Leafminer, Monarthropalpusi flavus (Schank), is a small mosquito looking insect about 1/8th of an inch long that causes serious damage to boxwoods. Despite the size, adult leafminers are easy to spot because of their bright orange color. Like a lot of other spring pests, boxwood leafminers are an invasive species native to Europe. They […]
As summer ends and autumn starts to bring colder weather, trees begin to get numerous visitors looking for shelter. Some visitors are harmless and leave when spring emerges; however, some never leave and will feed on your tree until it is destroyed. Unfortunately, wood boring insects are a part of the latter group. Borers are […]
Bacterial Leaf Scorch is a systemic disease caused by bacteria, which invades the water and nutrient conducting tissues. Commonly Infected Species Include: Oaks, Sycamores, Elms, Maples, Mulberries, and Sweet Gum. When infected with Bacterial Leaf Scorch (Is Your Tree on Fire?) Leaves develop normally early in the season and symptom expression begins in June and […]
