It’s almost summer, and for some bugs and pests, it’s the time they start gnawing on your trees.
The D.C. area had very little rain — to the point of a drought — and Lou Meyer, an arborist with the mid-Atlantic-based Davey Tree, says that’s not exactly healthy weather for trees.
“When (trees) are stressed out, they’re more susceptible to damage from forestry pests and diseases, because they have health systems, like we do,” Meyer said.
One of the biggest threats is the emerald ash borer, a small green beetle that lays eggs and feeds on the bark of ash trees. So how can you spot them on your trees?
“What you’re looking for with those, if you have an ash tree, are small, D-shaped exit wounds. And by small, I mean like a quarter of an inch at the most across, and it looks like a half circle or a D shape, and that’s where the larva are emerging from the tree,” Meyer said.
You will also see bark peeling off the tree.
“Woodpeckers love eating emerald ash borers. So if you have an ash tree and you see a pile of bark at the base of it, it’s probably from woodpeckers pulling the bark off to get to the larva to feed on it,” he said.
Meyer said if you do see those, there are products like pesticides that you or a tree expert can apply to help control them.
“This is a great time for homeowners to look up when they’re outside, see if there are any irregularities,” he said.
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