Category: Trees & Insects
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Emerald Ash Borer Active in Denton County
Background The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been discovered in Denton, County. The ISA Certified Arborists want to make sure that our customers and the community at large have accurate information and with proper knowledge can decide how they want to protect any Ash trees on their property. The EAB was discovered in the USA…
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How and When to Treat Bagworms in North Texas
Bagworms are tiny little caterpillars that turn into moths. They feed on trees such as Junipers, red cedar’s, arborvitae, Leyland Cypress, and other evergreen type trees.
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Why are My Crape Myrtles Black?
That unappealing black coating on your tree is actually a harmless byproduct of a bug! The black substance is called sooty mold and grows on the waste product of an insect called scale. The mold itself is fairly harmless, more aesthetic than anything. It can even be washed off with a high-powered hose or wet…
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Emerald Ash Borer and Your Ash Trees
Emerald Ash Borer in Denton County You may have heard on the news that the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is now in Denton County. Some of these reports will sound alarmist and are designed to generate fear and sell some services. While the report is true, there is no cause of for alarm and I…
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What’s That Sticky Stuff Coming from My Trees?
Honeydew is a sticky, sugary liquid that is insect waste. Insects called aphids (and some scale species) suck on plant sap and secrete a liquid we all know as honeydew. For the most part, an infestation of these messy insects won’t seriously harm your tree. However, they can cause distortions of leaves and of fruits…
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What Has Happened to My Hackberry Trees?
The unusual weather this year has set up conditions for a very obscure moth to come out of obscurity and defoliate many of the hackberry trees in southern Denton County. The moth larvae is a small green caterpillar about 1/2 inch long at maturity. The caterpillar is called a “skeletonizer” because it eats the flesh…
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Little Round Bugs Invading My Patio and House!
This is not necessarily tree related, but it is something I haven’t seen before at our yard and house in Highland Village, Texas. Over the past few days, thousands of small round insects are covering the back patio and coming into the house. Upon some investigation, these are “White-Lined Burrowing Bugs” and are completely harmless…
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Brown Bumps On My Oak Twigs?
What are those little brown humps that cover my oak twigs? These are lecanium scale insects. The lecanium scale can be debilitating to the host plant, rarely killing it. The insect draws sap from the tree, thus reducing the tree’s resources. A heavy infestation can stress a tree greatly and may cause thinning of the…
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What’s that “White Fungus” on My Post Oaks?
As we get into August this year, the post oaks in Denton County are showing a lot of white on their leaves. This is not a fungus or serious disease but is “wool” that is produced by a small sucking insect called an Aphid. The aphid produces the “cotton” or “wool” as protective covering and…