Press Releases

Facts About Spongy Moths and Treatment Options What is a Spongy Moth? The spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) arrived in the United States from Europe in the 1860s. Spongy moths defoliate trees while in the larval stage. After multiple seasons of defoliation, formerly healthy trees may lose vigor and eventually die. What does a Spongy Moth look like? Their egg masses are tan, teardrop-shaped and approximately 1 1/2″ long. Their larvae, or caterpillars, are about ...

Facts About the Japanese Beetle and Treatment options What is the Japanese Beetle? The Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) is a harmful pest to over 200 species of plants in North America. These beetles pose a serious threat to some of North America’s most beautiful and popular tree species, including: Apple Birch Japanese Maple Cherry These beetles are beautiful to look at. They have a shiny metallic-green body with copper-colored wings. They are roughly 3 ...

Snow Mold What is Snow Mold? Snow mold is a fungal disease that appears when snow melts in early spring. It is most common in years with early snows over ground that has not had a chance to freeze. There are two varieties of snow mold. Gray Snow MoldGray snow mold forms under snow piles and is characterized by circular patches of straw-colored turf that appear matted and may have gray webbing present. Pink Snow ...

Tree Fungus Treatment & Identification Understanding Fungi That Infect Trees Toadstools, puffballs, dwarf benches and mushrooms are just a few of the names given to describe some of the fungi that can be affecting the health of your trees. Formerly thought of as a group of simple plants lacking chlorophyll, fungi are now classified as a separate kingdom of living organisms. Fungi cause disease when a spore germinates on a susceptible host under the appropriate environmental ...

Garlic Successful as Natural Insect Repellent Garlic has been useful as a spice for a very long time, and it is often utilized for an ever-growing list of curative properties. However, the most interesting use for garlic may not be the most well known. Garlic makes a powerful natural insect repellent. Garlic can be used to repel a variety of crawling and flying insects, including mosquitoes,” according to Patrick Parker , SavATree Plant Health Care Program ...

Tree Blight Treatment & Tree Fungus Control Tree blight refers to a group of tree diseases which are caused by fungus or bacteria. Tree blight can be very detrimental to the health of the tree, and if left unchecked, could result in a need for tree removal. Tree disease identification and treatment begins with a comprehensive inspection of your landscape by one of SavATree’s industry-certified arborists. During a consultation, your arborist will be able to ...

What causes Sudden Oak Death in trees and plant life? Sudden Oak Death, or SOD, is caused by the pathogenic fungus Phytophthora ramorum. This waterborne mold pathogen infiltrates plants and trees through contaminated irrigation water, wind-blown rain, infected plants, and contaminated pots and soil mixes. This fungus is also associated with other tree wellness issues like Ramorum leaf blight, Ramorum dieback, and Phytophthora canker. Sudden oak death affects more than oak trees Since its discovery ...

During the winter months, when your landscape lays dormant from the vitality of the growing season, it’s easy to forget that your lawn is still susceptible to insects and diseases. Your lawn experiences two common problems during the winter months – lawn mites and snow mold. Lawn Mites Mite damage typically occurs during an abnormally dry winter or early spring and can cause severe damage to your lawn. In some occurrences, damage can be nothing ...

If Sudden Oak Death is Present in a Portion of the Property, Remember to: Schedule all landscaping and construction operations to occur first in the SOD-free area. Ensure that equipment is cleaned after work in the SOD infested area. Minimize all activities and operations in the Spring. Fall is the best work to avoid spreading infection through disturbance. Pruning of large branches and stems in multi-stemmed oaks should occur possibly in late November, and never ...

Upon first glance the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) appears similar to a butterfly; colorful and flashy, but don’t be fooled, this is an exotic, invasive pest which poses a serious threat to agricultural and landscape plants. The lanternfly is not a true fly but technically is a planthopper and is native to China. Spotted lanternflys feed on over 70 species of fruit trees, ornamental plants, hardwoods and vines including; apples, birch, cherry, dogwood, grapes ...

While many homeowners consider squirrels adorable woodland creatures who are entertaining to watch and cause little damage to trees, think again. Believe it or not, squirrels eat tree bark and that can be damaging to the trees on your property. Squirrels are notorious for their voracious habit of chewing on things, and tree bark is no different. Oftentimes, the reasons why squirrels eat tree bark is if food and water supplies are scarce or to ...

The Japanese beetle may look beautiful on the outside with its shimmering green, coppery-brown colored body, but their beauty hides an insatiable appetite which can quickly destroy plant matter on your property. For almost one hundred years, the Japanese beetle has been wreaking havoc on lawns and throughout landscapes across the eastern United States and has since migrated to western parts of the country as well. The Japanese beetle spends most of its life as ...

Boxwoods are an extremely popular shrub for homeowners. They’re easy to maintain, resistant to deer, and grow well in a variety of conditions. However, they now have one weakness: bloxwood blight. In the late 1990’s, this previously unseen disease began to hit boxwoods in Europe. It made the jump to North America in 2011 and since then has been found in many states. The disease is caused by a fungus known as Calonectria ...

A Princeton University research team has found that termites can actually slow the desertification process by creating small oases of plant life. Their results suggest that not only prevent the spread of deserts into semi-arid ecosystems and agricultural lands but can also increase their resilience to climate change. Termite mounds provide a moisture and nutrient oasis which encourages vegetative growth and slows desertification. In the arid savannas and grasslands termite mounds are sometimes the only ...

Ips calligraphus, the six-spined Ips, and Ips pini, the pine engraver beetle, are tree pests of great economic and environmental importance. These pests are commonly found in infesting ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, stands in Montana and have been found across north America. Populations target hosts which have been weakened due to previous infestation by another pest or damaged from disease. High density pockets of Ips beetles will develop in areas of abundant logging and thinning ...

Scale insects, particularly those of the armored variety, are basically the bane of landscape managers’ existence. They are one of the toughest pests to control. Cryptomeria scale, Aspidiotus cryptomeriae, is one of these armored scales which is also incredibly hard to detect, because it is covered in a translucent, waxy coating. It can resemble the elongate hemlock scale, but is distinguished by the caramel coloring of the glaucous, brown coating. Numerous conifer species are susceptible ...