Tricks, Not Treats: 5 Tree Villains Haunting the DMV
Halloween decorations aren’t the only creepy things showing up in yards this month. Here are the real-life tree villains we see most often around the DMV:
The Uninvited Guest: Spotted Lanternfly
You’ve probably met these by now. This invasive planthopper’s favorite hosts are maples, fruit trees, and other hardwoods. Fall is the time to hunt for their eggs: masses laid in rows with a light tan coating, on rocks, fences, and even patio furniture. Scrape them off and destroy them before they hatch in spring. As they feed, lanternflies also leave a sticky fluid that turns into black sooty mold.
The Ghost Maker: Crapemyrtle Bark Scale
That fuzzy white coating on your crape myrtle isn’t an early frost. The scales suck sap and leave honeydew that turns branches and bark black with sooty mold, and heavy infestations can kill limbs.
The Silent Killer: Emerald Ash Borer
This metallic green beetle has wiped out huge numbers of ash trees across the region. Its larvae tunnel just under the bark, cutting off the tree’s water and nutrient supply. Watch for thinning canopies and D-shaped exit holes in the bark
The Rot Detectors: Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants don’t eat wood, but they nest in wood that’s already softening from decay. A steady trail of large black ants marching in and out of a trunk is a sign there may be rot inside.
Bonus Creep: The Fungus Among Us
Mushrooms sprouting at the base of a tree or shelf-like growths on the trunk can mean decay is happening where you can’t see it. It’s a signal a tree that’s losing its structural strength, which is worth checking before winter storms arrive.
Spot something spooky? Snap a photo and reply to this email. Our arborists are happy to tell you whether it’s a trick or a treat!
Your October To-Do List
☐ Keep watering
Fall in the DMV can be dry. Give newly planted trees and evergreens a deep soak about once a week without rain, right up until the ground freezes.
☐ Mulch
Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch out to the drip line, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk. Mulch piled against bark invites rot and pests.
☐ Put fallen leaves to work
Shred them with the mower and leave them on the lawn, or add them to beds.
☐ Guard young trunks from deer
October is rutting season, and bucks rub their antlers on young trees, sometimes stripping the bark. Plastic trunk guards or a ring of fencing can prevent the damage.
☐ Look up
Scan for dead branches, cracks, and limbs hanging over the roof or driveway.
Loved Your Experience With RTEC? Let Us Know!
Word of mouth means everything! If our team has taken great care of your trees or property, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a minute to share your experience with a Google review. It helps our neighbors find us and it means the world to our team.
★ Leave RTEC Treecare a Google Review
Questions? We’re Here to Help.
Whether you need a routine checkup for your trees, a plant health care consultation, or emergency tree services, the RTEC Treecare team is ready.
Thank you for being part of our first 30 years — here’s to many more.
