Sometimes, it’s easy to see if pests are infesting your tree. You notice a creepy web or cocoon packed with gypsy moth caterpillars in the branches. Other infestations are harder to spot. You might confuse yellowing leaves or oozing bark with other issues. Here are some ways to tell if pests are making themselves at home in your trees.

Chewed Leaves

One way to tell that your tree is under attack is by chewed leaves. A wealth of varmints can chew on your tree’s leaves, and not all of them are insects. But leaves chewed by insects have ragged edges, or they’re full of holes. This is the work of ravenous caterpillars, grasshoppers, leaf miners, or beetles.

Leaves That Are Wilted or Discolored

When leaves wilt and then turn sickly yellows, browns, or blacks, it’s probably caused by tiny insects. Spider mites or aphids can cause this. They don’t exactly munch on the leaves themselves, but suck the sap out of them.

Damaged Bark

This distressing damage to your tree is the work of borers and bark beetles. One well-known pest is the emerald ash borer. This metallic green beetle lays its eggs under the bark of ash trees. The larvae chew tunnels throughout the bark. After the beetle matures, it chews out a D-shaped escape hole. A bad infestation of these monsters can weaken your tree and may even lead to its death.

Branch Dieback

This is when the branches of your tree die, one by one. Death starts at the tip of the branch, then progresses toward the trunk. The tree appears skeletal, its branches brittle and leafless. Unless someone deals with the problem, the tree dies. Like bark damage, bark beetles and borers cause branch dieback.

Galls

Galls can look like little withered apples on the tree. They’re the response of the tree to chemicals injected by tiny wasps, aphids, and mites. Your tree might also show abnormal, tumor-like growths besides galls. These tumors and galls don’t kill your tree, but they point to the fact that pests are visiting it.

Sticky Leaves

Another sign of pests is sticky stuff on parts of your tree. This is honeydew, and it’s what’s left after pests suck the sap out of leaves and stems and the living wood beneath the bark. This honeydew, like a smear of syrup on your kitchen counter, attracts other pests and mold.

Call Us for Tree Infestation

Pests infesting your trees are unpleasant, and you should deal with them right away. If you need tree service, including tree removal, don’t wait to call our arborist at South Coast Outdoor Service in Mobile, AL.