How to control Threatening Tree Insects?
In the world, there is a wide variety of insect species. And one of the favorite places for these insects to live in are trees. With such many insects, we know that some of them are actually good, harmless and even beneficial to your tree. There are some benefits to have insects living in our trees. But that is not always the case for all insects. Some of them can cause great damage to your tree. The fact is that there are some species that can not only damage it, but also kill your tree. If you are someone interested in how your tree grows (and really care about its health), you need to learn the tricks to learn how to control threatening tree insects. All this without damaging your tree or harming the insects, that are harmless. Our Palm Trees Cape Coral want to show you how you can do it.
Identify the good species from the harmful
As we said before, some kind of insects, actually, help trees process the organic matter and then, deliver it into the soil as broken-down nutrients. So, it is easier for other plants to pick them and use them to grow.
Trees in Cape Coral can benefit from bugs and insects. But there are others that will also cause harm to your tree. How can you identify which ones are good and bad?
In order to learn the right identification, you will indeed need to do some research to be aware of the signs your tree may show. For instance, you should inspect your tree regularly to see if any of these symptoms or signs appear. First, check for fine, sawdust-like material around your tree. This is a type of excrement left by bugs known as borers or carpenter ants. This can mean that your tree needs treatment, since this type of bugs will burrow directly into the wood.
Furthermore, you can check the leaves too. If they start to turn yellow or curl up, it can be a bad symptom. Watch out for caterpillars as well, since they can defoliate your tree and leave it vulnerable to any type of disease. The key is to alert to any kind of sign.
Encourage the visit of good insects
What is good about the natural world is that sometimes it self-sustains. There are certain types of bugs that can keep harmful insect populations under control. Take for instance the ladybugs. They feed from aphids and other small pests. Likewise, lacewings, dragonflies and spiders also tend to eat harmful bugs. So, if you want to keep your tree safe from harmful insects, you will need to encourage the visit of these good insects.
Most of the time, the more variety of plants there is, the more type of insects come too. Then, you can plant more plants in your garden to encourage more visitors. You can even make some pollinators, like bees and beetles, to come to your tree. Another way to attract these bugs is to place a layer of mulch around the base of the tree (without actually touching the tree). This mulch will help spiders or other predators to hide from actual pests. Then, they can eat them too. And one more thing, try to control the use of pesticides that can be detrimental to some insects. If you still want to use it, choose an organic one, and better spray it directly onto the pests, and not all over the tree.
Apply oils to pest-infected areas
It is being established before that some insects can help you take care of your tree. So, using a pesticide can actually be harmful to your tree, since it will not only eliminate bad bugs, but good ones too. There are other alternatives to keep your tree safe.
For example, sprays made from oil are not entirely toxic. This spray can smother soft-bodied insects like aphids by clogging their breathing pores.
Then, you can damage some bugs, but not the ones that are on our side. You need to pay attention to the products you will purchase and look to their ingredients. Once you are totally aware of the composition of the oil, you can buy the one you think works the best. Then, you apply it carefully to the bark and leaves where it is damage. Try to avoid the whole tree, and the parts where there are no signs of pests. This will help your tree overall.
Maintain your tree healthy
Though it may sound obvious (since keeping your tree healthy should always be done), some people don’t realize that these pest invasions happen because the tree was already sick or injured. For instance, while carpenter ants are a risk for your tree, they only invade it if the wood is already rot and weak. So, if what you are looking is to keep the pests at bay, you need to constantly check your tree’s health. For that matter, it is better if you check how is the pH of the soil for your tree. The type of soil your tree is standing over plays a big role into its development.
Then, you need to verify if it’s still the best soil condition for your tree. Furthermore, your tree needs to be watered constantly to get the right nutrients. In terms of fertilizer, it is better if you used an organic one. All fertilizers will give trees the necessary strength to stand up for itself in case of any pest infection. You can also ask for tree services near me, to prune any weak or damaged branch.
Call a professional tree service
If you are really concerned about your tree’s health regarding the threat of insects, you can call any tree professional. When you contact an expert, you can be sure that they know what to do to keep your trees free from insects.
Besides, they know what to do if your tree is already sick. First, they know and recognize the signs of damage.
Once they have identified it, they will know which course of action to take to free your trees from any insect. Just look for your tree services near me, and have an arborist check your tree in a regular basis. It is better to look for your tree in advance, instead of waiting until it is too late.
Keep your Tree safe!
So, while bugs are common in a tree, not all of them are good of it. Our Palm Trees in Cape Coral look to advise you what to do to get rid of them, without damaging your whole tree. Learn to identify which ones are good. Learn to identify which are not good. And know how to successfully eliminate them.
