The Top Winter Tree Pests and Diseases

You might not think much about your trees during winter as they stand leafless and dormant. Yet your trees are at risk year-round from both pests and diseases. Let’s look at common threats to your tree and what you can do about them.

Insects Attack Even in Winter

Just because you don’t see any bugs during the winter doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Here are some pests that could be destroying your trees year-round:

• Aphids: These tiny bugs are considered a threat to garden plants but can devastate your tree’s health. They love to eat tree sap, which makes a tree stop growing. If you don’t keep aphids in check, they will lay eggs in the fall, which will hatch when the weather warms up.
• Spider Mites: If you’ve noticed any unusual webbing on your tree, you need to have a pro check for spider mites. Just like aphids, these pests love sap and will cause leaf destruction. These mites are tiny and easy to miss, so getting an arborist is crucial to keeping your trees healthy.
• Scales: If your tree has little bumps, you’d better have it checked for these destructive pests. They can weaken a plant or tree to the point that it won’t grow right or stay healthy. Don’t wait to get your tree assessed for these bugs, as their damage can remain under the radar until it’s too late.

The good news about these pests and others like them is that a tree expert can get rid of them, even in the winter. Getting an expert from BBD Tree Service to assess your trees even before you notice anything happening is the best way to keep your trees healthy through every season.

Watch for Tree Diseases Throughout the Year

The best way to avoid tree disease is to hire a professional to help maintain and inspect them throughout the year. While it’s tempting to skip care during the colder months, disease can and will impact your trees. Some diseases to watch out for include:

• Canker Disease
• Anthracnose
• Apple Scab
• Cedar-Apple Rust
• Dothistroma Needle Blight
• Diplodia Tip Blight
• Fire Blight
• Oak Wilt
• Phytophthora Root Rot
• Powdery Mildew

While these disease names can look scary, a good tree maintenance program can help you identify and treat these diseases when necessary. If left unchecked and untreated, these diseases can cause tree branch disease and even kill an entire tree.

How To Keep Your Trees Safe and Healthy All Year Long

The most effective way to ensure you don’t lose any of your trees of shrubbery is to hire a tree service to maintain and treat your trees throughout the year. You can also help keep trees healthy by:

• Pruning Your Trees
• Planting Trees Correctly
• Using Fungicides
• Applying Horticultural Oils

When You Want To Keep Your Trees Healthy in Every Season

The expertise and professionalism of the right tree service can make preventing damage from diseases and pests on your trees and shrubs easy. When you do, you’ll be putting your yard’s health in the hands of a specialist who can spot any potential tree problems and treat them immediately.

When you need a tree service in or around Newton, MA, the best choice is BBD Tree Service. Check out our reviews and then contact us at 781-589-9902 to learn how we can keep your greenery healthy all year!

Categorised in: Arborist

This post was written by admin