Ohio has many gorgeous trees, including black willows, yellow birches, American beeches, and white oaks. If your landscaping includes trees, you should protect them from pests, which can damage or kill them. Below is more information about native pests and how tree service professionals recommend keeping them away from your yard.

How to Prevent Pests From Damaging Your Trees

1. Spider Mites

As their name suggests, spider mites are minuscule arachnids that feed on carbohydrates, phosphorus, and nitrogen in trees. They leave fine lines and yellow spots on the leaves that will lead to dead patches in the foliage. Dry conditions tend to attract these insects, so water your trees regularly. If you notice these pests, hire a tree service to prune the branches and keep the bugs from spreading.

2. Ash Borers

Emerald ash borers are beetles that have iridescent green bodies and feed on the bark of ash trees, forming S- or D-shaped patterns beneath it. These are some of the most destructive insects in the United States. Ash borers reproduce in summer, so apply bark injections and soil drenches. These methods penetrate directly into the bark or roots, saturating the tree with chemicals that will prevent the pests from killing it. 

3. Tent Caterpillars

Eastern tent caterpillars feed on leaves and construct web-like nests in the forks of branches. Eventually, they become fuzzy moths, but until this happens, they’ll feed on and defoliate your trees. When leaves fall in autumn, inspect the branches for eggs, which appear in masses around smaller branches and appear to have a black varnish. If you spot them, have a tree service prune the area before they hatch. 

4. Bagworms

Bagworms are caterpillars that surround themselves with sheaths made from leafy debris of the host tree. They feed on leaf tissues and are particularly tough on evergreens. Apply an ingestible insecticide, such as permethrin or malathion, before they begin to feed in May or June. However, wear gloves when doing this and be careful not to get any on yourself. If you do, wash it off immediately.

Keep your trees healthy and beautiful with help from the team at Morehouse Logging LLC in Thornville, OH. Kevin Morehouse and his team provide tree trimming, pruning, stump grinding, and removal to clients throughout Columbus and the surrounding area. Call (740) 501-0256 to get an estimate on regular tree services and set up a schedule. Visit the website to learn more about their land and lot clearing services.