In Utah, tree insect control is quickly becoming a critical concern.

Besides the many potentially damaging pests that are native to our area, changes in our climate are driving new pests into our state. Some of these pests aren’t much more than a nuisance that may eat your fruit or cause foliage to become unsightly.

Others, however, can kill your trees before you know they even exist.

The Potential Damage of Tree Insects

Every year, we talk to customers who had their fruit tree crop decimated by some type of pest or another. Although this is frustrating – and, if you sell your crop, potentially costly – your trees will live to see another year. The same can be said for tree insects that cause cosmetic damage.

The more dangerous pests, and the ones you need to worry about, are those that kill your trees.

For example, bark beetles are a serious problem in Utah and throughout the southwestern United States. The emerald ash borer is another problem pest that is literally decimating thousands of acres of trees across the country. These and other pests often do serious damage before anyone notices they’re there.

Bark beetles often leave a tree and move on to a new one before detection. By that time, the tree cannot be saved under any circumstances.

Peach tree borers are another example of tree insects that can kill or seriously weaken the plant without you knowing they’re present. In Utah, we have many such threats in our ecosystem.

How an Arborist Handles Tree Insect Control

Any services we provide are based specifically on the location and type of trees you have, and on the problem itself.

For infestations and pest problems, we may have to use a chemical pesticide. This may be applied either as a spray or as an injection into the trunk or roots zone of the tree. If possible, we will use a non-chemical treatment, such as dormant oil sprays. However, unless we treat an insect infestation correctly, we won’t be able to control it.

The other approach we use for tree insect control is to keep your trees as health as possible all year long. A healthy tree resists diseases and pests, helping to avoid the need for active tree insect control.

How You Can Help Control Insects on Your Trees

We recommend that you inspect your trees thoroughly every two weeks or so.

If you do develop a pest problem, it’s unlikely (although not impossible) that irreparable damage can occur in the span of only two weeks. So, if you do detect the presence of insects or note any damage that’s occurring, we can get to the problem quickly enough to treat it successfully in most cases.

But how will you know what to look for? Depending on the type of trees you have, we can tell you what to watch out for. In some cases, what you perceive to be insect damage may be attributable to particularly harsh weather or improper care.

However, since a healthy tree is best able to resist an infestation, call us if you note any suspicious damage. We may need to provide fertilization or help you adjust your watering schedule.

Reliable Tree Care provides assistance to residential and commercial customers throughout Northern Utah. We provide professional arborist services including pruning, trimming, fertilization, disease and insect control. We know how much you’ve invested in your trees and how much benefit they bring to your home or office. Trust us to handle all your care, including tree insect control.