Every year around this time all of the various cultivars of flowering cherries in the landscape look their best and people are happy to talk about how beautiful spring is. Unfortunately, there are many problems that are common with Cherry Trees. The assortment of problems includes Insects, pest and diseases. Flowering cherry trees with severe…
In a very short amount of time, chinch bugs can destroy large spots on your lawn. They damage by sapping the moisture and nutrients out of lawns. They’ll also add the toxins back into plants. Grass leaf blades will turn yellow on the edges and then brown out in large patches. Chinch bugs love the…
If a tree is suffering from a disease or insect infestation, sometimes it’s obvious, but other times, you have to know what to look for. A common myth is that there aren’t any visible signs of insects, so the tree isn’t in harm’s way of insect infestation. Some harmful insects, such as the Bronze Birch…
Lilac Ash Borers have been found in ash tree throughout the state of Delaware in early July. These borers normally feed on nectar and lay eggs during their activity period. Frass (sawdust like) around the base of the tree or on the branches can be an indicator of them. Another indicator could also be seeing…
The Japanese beetle is one of the most destructive pests for urban landscape plants in the eastern United States. Adult Japanese beetles are about 7/16-inch long with a green metallic body and copper-brown wing covers. They have consecutive white spots called tufts of hair from under the wing covers on each side of the body. Japanese…
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s annual aerial survey of New Jersey conducted between June 17 and June 29 showed a major increase in tree damage from gypsy moth caterpillars this year. An estimated 290,696 acres of trees in 175 municipalities in 20 counties were defoliated as compared to 1,330 acres in 24 towns in…
Grub worms can undermine even the best and healthiest of landscapes. As if grub worm damage and insect damage weren’t pest enough on their own, their presence can attract moles which can wreak havoc on your lawn. Let’s examine two types of bugs that typically cause the most damage to lawns: white grubs and chinch…
Viburnum Leaf Beetle has now been found at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s also been found in other parts of the Chicago metro area including Cook and DuPage County since 2009. It seems like tree varieties such as Arrowwood, Possum-haw and Cranberrybush are becoming most susceptible to this threat. This pest overwinters as eggs…
It is so early in the season in many regions buds have not yet broke, but insects have awoken. Being the first to become active has some advantages for the insects, but for landscape professionals and homeowners they can be quite a nuisance. Being that the season for insect control hasn’t begun in earnest up…
The slow transition to spring has affected pest insects and their predators, but a discussion of beneficial insects is always relevant. Solitary bees are not often the subject of scrutiny or even interest, the concern over the health and decline of pollinator population seems to be solely focused on hive bees while those solitary species in…
