It’s spring! That means fresh flowers, baby birds, and sucking insects. Wait, what?
Yes, the new growth that comes in the season of rebirth is what brings out those pesky aphids, adelgids and psyllids. These tiny destructive bugs suck the sap from fresh shoots and young leaves and leave behind stunted, weakened plants. Now is a great time to talk to your tree care company’s Plant Health Care department about how to combat these little suckers.
Request a proposal for Plant Health Care.
My Car!
As a tree care company, we’re in favor of anything that improves the health and appearance of trees. But in the world of property management there are other concerns that are even more important. Like the resident whose car is suddenly covered in sticky honeydew, or the tenant whose lobby floor is dirtier every day because of the sticky substance visitors are tracking in from the sidewalk. Instead of investing in additional day porter hours or car washes, talk to your plant health care expert. He may be able to help you stop the problem at the source and avoid all those angry phone calls.
Watch Out
Psyllids, aphids and adelgids (the conifer-loving cousin of aphids) all leave behind slightly different symptoms. Keep an eye out for the following and ask your arborist to propose a treatment plan for whichever bug you’ve got.
Look for these symptoms:
- Yellowing, wilting or distorted leaves
- Dimpled, pockmarked leaves
- Defoliation or dieback
- Honeydew on leaves, as well as on sidewalks, cars and benches under trees
- White, cottony tufts on bark, twigs, needles or cones
- Needles turning a grayish green
- Premature needle drop
Cotton-like tufts left behind by Adelgid
Aphid infestation
Sticky honeydew dripped onto a sidewalk by aphids