An Integrated Approach
Bartlett Tree Experts uses an integrated approach to managing insects and diseases that begins with maintaining plant health using sound cultural practices including pruning and creating optimal soil conditions for plant growth. Periodic inspections are essential to detect pest infestations before they reach damaging levels. Bartlett arborists are trained to recognize beneficial insects that will help naturally suppress pest populations, and we also release beneficials to augment existing populations. When treatments are necessary, Bartlett can apply organic and naturally based materials and reduced-risk products that provide effective pest suppression while protecting people and the environment.
Top-10 Insects
Hundreds of insect species damage leaves, stems, and branches; roots; and flowers and fruit of landscape plants. But not all insects on trees and shrubs are damaging. Some are beneficial and may help pollinate flowers or could be predators or parasites on insects that damage plants. Bartlett arborists are trained to correctly identify these beneficial insects and mites and can devise effective management programs that protect landscape plants from serious damage while conserving beneficial organisms.
Top ten insect and arthropod pests that threaten or damage landscape plants in the northeastern United States:
- Hemlock wooly adelgid
- Winter moths
- Japanese beetles
- Asian long-horned beetles
- Ambrosia beetles
- Southern pine beetles
- Emerald ash borer and other flat-headed borers including bronze birch borer and two-lined chestnut borer
- Weevils
- Spider mites
- Scale insects
Top-10 Diseases
Diseases are abnormalities in trees and shrubs caused by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria and by environmental stress such as drought, temperature extremes, and air pollution. Diseases are often difficult to diagnosis as different causal agents can produce similar symptoms. Accurate diagnosis is essential to developing effective treatment programs. Bartlett operates a modern diagnostic laboratory to support pest management services to ensure accurate identification and treatment of plant problems.
Top ten diseases that threaten or damage landscape plants in the northeastern United States:
- Bacterial leaf scorch
- Phytophthora root rot
- Dutch elm disease
- Leaf spot diseases
- Anthracnose
- Needlecast
- Verticillium wilt
- Fire blight
- Bleeding canker and Phytophthora canker
- Powdery mildew
Tick Management
Ticks don't feed on landscape plants, but they commonly infest landscapes throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
The diseases that ticks carry are quickly transferred to humans and pets. Managing ticks requires an integrated approach including landscape modifications such as pruning and removing weedy vegetation to reduce tick habitats.
Deer Management
Technically, deer cannot be categorized as an insect or disease, but they are a significant threat to landscapes in the Northeast. One mature deer can consume more than 4 pounds of foliage per day, which can destroy landscape plants seemingly overnight. Deer are very intelligent animals that adapt quickly to tactics designed to deter them. At Bartlett Tree Experts, developing effective strategies to deter deer browse has been a major area of emphasis. We have developed methods to suppress feeding and protect plants using physical barriers as well as effective repellents including organic and natural-based products.
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- What's the best way to control aphids on my lime tree?
- My 25-30 foot red oak shows signs of iron chlorosis and hasn’t leafed out on a quarter of it this year. I’m worried about losing it but can’t find an expert to assess it.
- My snowball tree is being eaten badly, with leaves looking like spider webs. I suspect caterpillars, but I don't see any. Is it worth saving, or should I give up on it?
- One of our Valley Oak trees has a web-like coating on its limbs, starting at the trunk and going up several branches. It has been there for about two weeks and is starting to lessen. What could it be, and is it harmful to the tree?
- My magnolia tree has scale. What can be done?
- I lost one pear tree last year, and now another is showing signs of yellowing leaves with black tips. I thought it might be fire blight, but I don't see any cankers. Any advice?
- My magnolia tree is secreting a sticky substance that attracts black wasps and other insects. The secretion catches fire when exposed to a match, stains surfaces, and the tree seems to be dying. Can you diagnose the issue and recommend a solution?
- My tree, planted last year, has black mold-like spots on the leaves, with one side completely defoliated. Could overwatering from the sprinkler be the cause, and what can I do to save it?
- My Hemlock Tree is losing foliage. The branches are bare of needles, except for top of tree. There is new growth but bare branches still remain. Can the tree be salvaged?
- My 10-year-old lemon tree has yellowing leaves and significant early leaf drop despite bi-monthly flood irrigation and citrus fertilizer three times a year. What could be causing this?
- We recently had our maple tree pruned. It now has spots all over the leaves. Can you tell me what is causing this and what treatment options there are?
- What is your expertise regarding the Emerald Ash borer infestation?
- My Jatropha tree has rust, sticky white residue on leaves and branches, and shriveled blooms and leaves. How can I treat it and save the tree?
- Is Arborbiotic injected into the root collar or trunk flare? I understand annual injections may not fully control fire blight in Callery 'Redspire' pears despite using Forti Phite plus calcium, and infected branches need pruning six inches back with sterilized tools. Is this correct?
- I have apple and pear trees. Every year I get worms in my fruit, no matter the spray or schedule and the labels on the sprays are confusing. What can I do?
- Are black tar spots on maple leaves harmful to the maple tree?
- A Colorado Blue Spruce is suffering from some type of blight. Can the problem be determined and treated during the winter?
- How would you eliminate bag worms before they hatch this Spring?
- Are stinkbugs attracted to maple trees?
- What type of treatment do can you provide for boxwoods that are infected with leafminers?
- I've been seeing many wooly adelgid on my hemlock trees. What is the recommended treatment for this?
- I have an American elm tree in my yard, Valley Forge I think, and I want to have it looked at to make sure it's okay and there is no Dutch Elm Disease on the horizon.
- Can slime flux or wetwood kill a tree?
- Bartlett treated my Maple trees for Phytophthora Canker with a spray, but it rained less than two hours later and heavily the next day. Could the treatment have been washed away?
- My mature Bartlett Pear tree has hundreds of lined holes in its bark but still appears healthy. How can I preserve it, and should I hire a professional to prune it this fall and annually?
- Squirrels are stripping branches off my sugar maple, leaving one side thin. How can I stop them?
- Do arborivitae trees attract stinkbugs? If so, when is the best time to spray for them?
- Is there a practical solution to squirrels stripping bark from pine trees?
- I have two large trees with mistletoe and wanted to know have to deal with removing them.
- My dog is eating bark off a tree, which could harm it and invite insect damage. What steps can I take to protect the tree?
- Our Hemlocks were treated for Wooly Adelgid with a ground injection last spring. Does this provide seven years of protection, or how often should they be treated?
- What is the preferred treatment for hemlock woolly adelgid?
- What should be done about tall evergreens that are infected with orange gelatinous globs?
- What should be done about a Yoshino Cherry with Shot Hole Disease?
- Are earwigs in an otherwise healthy looking tree a problem?
- How should fire blight in an ornamental pear tree be managed?