Aphid, Spidermite & Scale Treatment

Almost all of your trees and shrubs can be attacked by Aphids, Spidermites, or Scale.  All three of these insects have piercing/sucking mouthparts, meaning they insert their mouthparts into the plant tissue and suck the sap out of the plant. Since they reproduce quickly and aggressively feed on your trees, spidermites, aphids, and scale cause severe stress or can even kill a mature tree in a matter of a few weeks.

Aphid Treatment

It turns out that the sticky substance you find on the leaves of your trees and shrubs is grosser than you think.  Aphids are the cause. As they suck the sugary sap from the foliage, they excrete a sticky, shiny substance called “honeydew”…pretty nasty, right?  In large numbers, these insects cause curling leaves, discoloration, leaf drop, and dieback.  Some aphids can be harder to treat than others. Contact us for an arborist to visit, identify, and prescribe a treatment for aphids.

 

Spidermite Treatment

These tiny mites can do an extreme amount of damage to your plants by sucking sap from the foliage.  Each plant cell they feed on dies, leaving the leaf with a browning, speckled appearance.  Early detection and treatment are critical because Spidermites work fast.  They love heat, so watch for them in June through September.  To test for spidermites, hold a white piece of paper under the branch and shake the leaves.  The mites will appear at first to be small specks of dust on the paper, until the specks begin moving. Treatments are made when spidermites are present and feeding.  Call us to set up a free visit from a certified arborist for quick identification and treatment.

Scale Treatment

Scale are like the tanks of the insect world.  They are slow, heavily armored, and dangerous.  Eggs will hatch in the spring and crawlers will quickly attach themselves on a twig or needle.  After latching on, the crawlers grow an armored shell, inject a toxin into the plant, and begin sucking out the sap.  There they remain for the rest of the year, slowly sucking the life from your tree.  Look for faded color, bumps on the needles or twigs, and dieback. With their armored shell, scale are difficult to control, so contact us to have an arborist prescribe the best treatment for your trees.