Insects that make their homes in your trees can range from being a nuisance to destroying the tree. Chewed leaves and bare branches render your prized trees unsightly, but in worst instances these attacks can weaken your tree, making it vulnerable to diseases. Moreover, some insects carry disease pathogens and bacteria, which can be passed to your tree as the insect eats or lays eggs, so quick treatment is crucial to tree health.

Prevention is always best but keeping a close eye on your trees can mean catching a potential infestation early enough to limit damage and avoid disease. The insects themselves may be hard to see, but they generally leave obvious signs that they are there. Look for chewed or curled leaves, dead branches, sticky or sooty material, silky webs and leaves falling prematurely. Excessive ants also can be a sign of an insect infestation, as some insects leave behind a sticky or sugary substance that attracts ants. Bore holes, loose bark and sawdust-like material around the tree also indicate insect infestation.

In Northeast Ohio, common tree insects include aphids, cankerworms, Japanese beetles, eastern tent caterpillars, Asian longhorned beetles, the emerald ash borer, and the gypsy moth. Treatment varies for these pests, so understanding what is causing the problem is important.

Arborists place tree insects into three categories: sucking insects, chewing insects and boring insects. Consider the following when contacting your tree expert about a potential infestation.

Sucking Tree Insects – aphids, scale, leafhoppers, spider mites

  • Attach to the outside of branches and leaves and feed on the tree’s juices, sucking liquid from leaves, twigs and branches.

  • Look for discolored and wilted leaves; sticky residue on leaves and branches and small shell-like formations on branches.

  • Dangerous to trees because they drain the tree of nutrients.

Chewing Tree Insects – tent caterpillars, cankerworms, Japanese beetles, gypsy moths

  • Feed on the tree’s leaves, flowers, twigs and roots, leaving holes, jagged edges or defoliation.

  • Tent caterpillars create large silky webs or tents throughout branches.

  • Trees can generally recover with treatment, but repeated infestations will weaken them and make them more vulnerable to disease.

Boring Tree Insects – Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, elm bark beetle

  • Adult insects bore into trees and lay eggs. Larvae then tunnel under bark and feed on living wood.

  • Look for loose bark, holes in the bark and sawdust-like material on branches at the base of the tree.

  • Destroys the tree’s water- and sap-conducting tissue, starving the tree of nutrients and often killing the tree.

Solutions and treatments vary depending upon the insect and the extent of the infestation. The experts at GP Tree Service can help you identify the insect attacking your tree and provide treatment and prevention options to keep your trees healthy.