Insect & Disease Treatment St. Louis, MO

Several fungal and bacterial diseases affect shade and ornamental trees in our region. Many of them cause energy and vigor depletion and can cause aesthetic and physical damage. Plant diseases have many signs and symptoms. Some of these include lesions on branches, blotchy or misshapen leaves, early leaf drop or defoliation. Most disease treatments are best applied in the spring while the leaves are forming. Accurate identification and individual case assessment are needed to determine an appropriate course of action.

Insect and Tree Disease Treatments St. Louis, MO

Below are some of the most common problems we encounter as well as the types of treatments available:

Mites

Mites post a serious threat to a wide variety of plants, and can seriously impact the visual appearance of a plant. Mites favor warm, dry climates, and are an extremely serious issue for many homeowners. In the St. Louis area some of the most commonly found mites are on burning bush and dwarf Alberta spruce.

Mite treatments vary and timing is essential. If you notice your plants looking dry or changing color prematurely, contact your plant health care specialist because early treatments are the best treatments.

Borers

There are many borers in our area, and most pose no threat to healthy trees. However, there are invasive and damaging borers that cause irreversible damage. Some spread disease while other cut off water and nutrients to the plant.

Emerald ash borer is a crisis that is rapidly killing all of the ash trees as it moves across the country. There have been many cases in St. Louis and surrounding areas confirmed by the USDA and state officials. Careful scheduled monitoring of the landscape can catch borers early or identify hosts before it is too late.

Scale

Scale are a common insect in our landscapes and urban forests. When they move to landscape plants they can cause the plants to lose energy, become unsightly, and drip honeydew onto desirable plants or surfaces.

Timing for scale treatment depends on what type of scale is on the plant. Magnolias, pines, euonymus, and many other plants are susceptible to different types of scale insects. Treatment options vary, but most are done in the spring and fall when scale are the most active.

Leaf Feeding Insects

Leaf feeding insects primarily fall into the chewing or sucking category. Aphids are a sucking insect that secrete honeydew, and most times are most noticed when your car is sticky under a tree in the driveway and the windshield is hard to clean.

Beetles actually chew holes in the leaves and if the condition are right can nearly defoliate certain species in as little as a week. Tent caterpillars, bagworms, and fall webworms build nests that are semi-permanent and can be unsightly long after the insect has moved on. Leaf feeding insects can be a vector for disease or be a sign of a more significant problem. For example, adult emerald ash borers feed on the leaves of the ash trees, while the larva may be killing the tree from the inside. Insects such as oak gall wasps emerge at different times of the year, and proper identification and treatment are essential to help the overall health of the landscape.

Contact Omni Tree in St. Louis, MO to diagnose and treat these tree diseases and others!