Coastal Tree : Services, Pest Management

Pest management (Other Services: Pruning, Plant Health Care, Pre-construction Consulting )

The best way to reduce pest outbreaks on trees is to keep the trees healthy and give them what they need. Insect pests are mostly secondary invaders, meaning that something is usually wrong with the tree before an attack. For example, a Flowering dogwood that has its bark knocked off by a lawn mower, is a prime target for the insect "Dogwood borer" to lay eggs. These eggs will hatch and the immature insects will bore into the stem, cutting off the vascular system of the tree.

Another way to protect a whole species of tree from insect pests is to avoid monoculture (above). Remember "Dutch Elm disease?" Many American elms died, because city streets were lined with the same species of tree. As a result, all were susceptible and fell victim to the outbreak -- An unfortunate example of how a monoculture can lead to a domino effect. Intelligent and diverse planting can help avoid this kind of disaster.

Safe and proper tree spraying is also used to reduce the threat (lower the population) of insect pests. Once below the damage threshold, a healthy tree can fight the insect with its own natural defense mechanisms.

Biological control for Mosquito

This is not a chemical treatment; it is not a spray. It is a program designed to suppress the population of Mosquito over an extended period of time. Mosquito breeding areas on your property are located and targeted for treatments, which are made monthly. Coastal Tree is proud to offer the newest and safest way to control mosquitoes -- BIOLOGICALLY.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

This insect has had a large and very negative impact on the Connecticut coastal and inland areas. The Hemlock woolly adelgid is native to Japan, but has been spreading throughout the States since its arrival in 1985 (with no native predators to control the influx).

The adelgid has attacked the Canadian Hemlocks, using a piercing/sucking mouth type, to withdraw nitrogen, leaving many of these beautiful trees defoliated and severely weakened. The signs of the adelgid on hemlocks appear as a woolly white mass that runs along the middle of the needles (below), mostly on the undersides. The adelgid spread by wind, birds, deer and people. But once again, has a tougher time destroying a healthy tree.

Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid

Mostly found in Colorado Blue Spruce trees. The newly hatched insects begin feeding on the new shoots in early spring. The feeding causes the shoot to become a gall. Over the summer, the nymphs mature inside the gall until late August. The gall then dries and cracks open, releasing the insects, resulting in a dead branch tip (Below). Planting these trees next to Douglas firs, greatly magnifies the insect population and the consequent damage. However, this pest, like most others, can be managed with the right care.

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