Austin, Texas, encounters its fair share of challenges, and to keep your trees looking their best, it helps to know common tree-eating pests you may encounter.
As the go-to tree removal company in the city of Austin, our crew at Monster Tree Service of Greater Austin understands common threats against your trees and plants. Keep reading to learn more about the most common tree-eating bugs in Austin, Texas.
1. Aphids
Aphids are tiny insects that come in all shapes and colors. They reproduce faster than other insects, making their infestations quite rapid. They cause tree damage by sucking plant sap with their piercing and sucking mouthparts. They may feed on all parts of your tree, causing damages such as:
Stunted plant growth
Sooty mold fungus
Deformed foliage
Galls formed on leaves, stems, and roots
2. Boring Insects
As the name implies, these destructive tree insects bore inside a tree and start feeding on it. They typically take advantage of a tree’s weakness, such as after pruning or limb removal to bore into the tree and start feeding on it.
Some boring insects feed on the outer layers of live tissue while others bore to the core and feed on xylem cells. Left untreated, these tree-eating bugs can spread and cause extensive tree damage that may require tree removal.
Boring insects you may encounter in Austin include:
Cottonwood Borer
Redheaded Ash Borer
Gum Bumelia Borer
Emerald Ash Borer
3. Webworms
Austin tends to have the perfect conditions for webworms to grow and thrive. These insects typically build large webs that contain many worms in each web. While they rarely cause more than aesthetic tree damage, heavy infestations can weaken a tree and make it more susceptible to other issues.
Other common insects damaging trees in Austin, Texas, include:
Lace bugs
Spider mites
Scales
Bagworms
Tent caterpillars
Juniper budworms
Managing Tree-Eating Insects
Identifying tree-eating bugs as soon as possible makes it easier to control them. Inspect your trees and plants regularly for symptoms of pests and diseases. Get to know how your trees normally look at different times of the year as that will also help with faster detection of bug infestations in trees.
Nonetheless, good tree practices improve a tree’s vigor and can help reduce its likelihood of attracting pests. A healthy tree can also fight off and recover from pests and disease better than a poorly maintained one.
Trust Your Local Tree Experts for Help
Trust Monster Tree Service of Greater Austin for exceptional tree service at an affordable price. Our highly experienced crew specializes in tree care and stays committed to helping you keep your landscape healthy. Count on us for various tree services, including:
Plant health care
Emergency services
Tree removal
Tree/shrub pruning and trimming