5 signs that invasive insects slowly kill your trees

Check your trees for these key indicators and act, according to the experts.


If you are lucky enough to have trees in your yard, you know what Wonderful equipment they can be. They provide a refuge of the summer sun, show beautiful fall foliage and offer robust branches for a bird's nest or even a hut in the trees. With all these advantages in mind (not to mention the positive impact they can have on your physical and mental health), we want to keep our trees in full swing. However, invasive insects have the objectives opposed to the mind and There are signs that they really kill your trees slowly but surely.

"Since the trees are so large, they often die from several problems at the same time, rather than a huge catastrophic event (the thunderbolt except!). For trees, it's more like" death by a thousand cuts " "" Charles Van Rees , PHD, conservation scientist, naturalist and founder of the Gulo in nature Blog, tells Better life . "Each additional pressure or threat can bring them a step from the edge. With climate change increasing the frequency of droughts, floods, heat waves and extremely cold press pimples, many species of trees are already subjected to many stress. When the invasive species come and start to drop them, which can be the straw that broke the back of the camel. "

Van Rees adds that the damage caused by invasive species, in particular, are more serious than the damage caused by native species. "It will also be more consistent from year to year and is more likely to lead to the death of trees. In other words, the severity of damage (and infestation) will be greater for invasive species "He said. This is aggravated by the fact that the invasive species have no natural predators to keep their population under control, making even more ravages because of the speed at which they reproduce.

You might be able to spot insects yourself, according to Julia Omelchenko ,, resident botanist expert For the Natureid application, but some signs are more devious. To keep your trees alive and well alive, you will want to monitor them for any trace of invasive insects. Read the rest for five revealing signs that your trees are besieged.

Read this then: 5 invasive trees that you should immediately withdraw from your courtyard .

1
Withered leaves

wilting dead leaves
Vera Shcher / Shutterstock

Seeing a tree with falling foliage is always somewhat depressing, but did you know that it could also be a sign of invasive insects?

"The leaves are generally kept and vertical by the pressure of the turbér, a force exerted by water inside its vascular tissue," explains Van Rees. "When the water ceases to move or is no longer connected to the rest of the plant, the leaves will wither. It is a bad sign for the plant; this often means that it tries to keep the water during a drought . " AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

According to Jen Stark , master gardener and founder of Good DIY , wilting sheets are one of the most common signs of invasive insects and could report in particular aphids or the scale of insects.

However, Van Rees notes that if the surrounding plants seem to stop, the problem could be linked to "systematic problems" in the roots or the trunk of your trees.

2
Wood saw or "fras" on the ground

frass on bark
Acrapi / Shutterstock

Like humans and animals, insects must eat - and as Van Rees says, "what is between must go out!"

"If you have invasive creatures in large numbers, their excrement could start to become visible," he said. "In eating leaves of leaves (especially the caterpillars), little pill -shaped poop called Fras will quickly accumulate under the tree." The sawdust, on the other hand, is only that - the socket left by insects which mince inside the trees.

Stark also points to these signs, noting that the strike or sawdust near a branch joint could indicate that your tree is infested with wooden beetles.

Read this then: If you have this tree in your courtyard, cut it now, those responsible warn .

3
Sap or oozing honeydew

sap oozing from tree bark
Thread creators / Shutterstock

Trees that seem to flee sap can also be in trouble, according to Stark, especially if you see it coming from cuts in the tree. The spotted lantern is an invasive sap lollipop that causes this symptom, leaving behind the "oozing injuries" after food.

SAP-Suckers also excrees sugar and water, known as "honeydew", according to Van Rees. "This can color the floor below while mushrooms and other microbes feed on sticky droplets accumulating below," he said.

Van Rees calls insects that suck "plant vampires" because they leave the trees weak and weak. "If their infestations become particularly bad (as with the woolly prute adelgids), they can weaken and die of hunger by consuming a large quantity of their stored resources, or the food they generate by photosynthesis," he said. "This is bad news for the tree, and if it continues for a few years, can make them likely to die."

4
Missing leaves

missing leaves on branch
Korneeva Kristina / Shutterstock

Unless it is fall, we do not expect to find too many leaves on the ground. So if you notice missing leaves on your trees, officially known as defoliation, they could be infested with invasive species.

"If there is no sign of leaves, the plant can be dead, dying or otherwise made unhealthy by the damage caused by insects somewhere in its roots or its vascular system," explains Van Rees. "If there are partial leaves indicating the folivoire (leaf eater), then something likely chews the leaves as fast as they can grow!"

This makes it difficult for the tree to eat, because the green leaves are used for photosynthesis, and after several years, your tree could become too weak to continue, he adds.

One Defoliant invasive is the spongy butterfly , according to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. These parasites eat almost all leaves on hardwoods, affecting the breeding process and making them more sensitive to diseases and other insects. The spongy butterfly (formerly known as Gypsy Moth) has obtained its new name thanks to the sponge type clusters that characterize its mass scene of eggs, which is another sign that you can search.

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5
Holes in the bark

holes in tree bark
JGEYSER / Shutterstock

The holes in the bark of your tree are probably not a good sign either. These are left by wooden insects that chew the tree trunk to eat, explains Van Rees. "Of course, they do not spend their whole life in there, so they often leave notable holes, along the way or out," he said.

The shape and arrangement of the holes are unique to different invasive insects, he adds: "But if you see a lot Among them on a tree, it can be a sign that something is wrong. ""

The approval of emerald ashes is a notorious wooden invasive, sometimes called EAB. The insect is from Asia, and since its introduction to North America in 2002, it has killed millions of native , according to the Inspection Service of the Health of Animals and Plants of the USDA (Aphis). These pests are known for their emerald color, but if you have ashes in your courtyard, keep an eye on the galleries in the shape of S in the bark and the output holes in the form of D - the latter appearing everything in long from May and early June.

"In general, observation is the key," explains Omelchenko. "If you notice damage of leaves and bark, bite marks and other signs of food, as well as the activity of pests, you should take immediate measures."

In addition to knowing what types of trees you have in your courtyard (because invasive species have their "favorite host trees"), Van Rees suggests using a outdoor application To identify the bug that kills your trees. From there, you can determine the appropriate treatment - whether it is to remove insects yourself, remove damaged parts or use insecticide or fungicide, according to Omelchenko. Van Rees also recommends reporting the observations, which you can make through the Eddmaps application .


Categories: Smarter Living
Tags: Garden / Home / News / / plants
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