ORCHARD & TREE PESTS
Shade trees, fruit trees and ornamental shrubs will eventually encounter a variety of pests. The difficulty is determining when, or if, many of these problems will reach a level where something must be done about it. Some tree pests are present every few growing seasons and require immediate attention, while many others are found each year but cause little or no harm.
Maintaining healthy, productive trees means knowing about common pests. Survey your backyard regularly to identify problems at an early stage. Identifying the problem and evaluating its severity will help decide if control is necessary and, if so, what management strategy to take. The tree pests listed below are some (of the many) that homeowners are likely to encounter.
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Aphids
Where: In clusters under leaves and on new growth. |
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Apple Maggot
Where: Inside apples tunneling throughout the flesh. External signs appear as pinpricks made on the surface. |
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Codling Moth
Where: Found in all apple-growing areas. |
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Gypsy Moth
Where: One of the most damaging pests of hardwood forests and urban landscapes. |
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Leafminer
Where: Between the upper and lower surfaces of leaves. |
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Mealybug
Where: Leaves, twigs, or fruit of many flowers, fruits and ornamentals. |
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Pear Sawfly
Where: Leaves of mountain ash, hawthorn, flowering cherry, flowering plum, and pear. |
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Pecan Weevil
Where: A key pest of pecan in the United States, it also feeds on all species of North American hickory. |
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Psyllid
Where: On a variety of plants, including most fruit trees and small fruits, as well as tomato and potato. |
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Scales
Where: Twigs, leaves, branches, or the fruit of many different plants. |
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Spider Mite
Where: In colonies, mostly on the underside of leaves. |
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Spruce Budworm
Where: Throughout the western United States on fir and spruce trees. |
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Tent Caterpillar
Where: On deciduous trees and shrubs living in webs, or tents. |
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Thrips
Where: Leaves, fruits and flowers of many plants. |
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Whitefly
Where: Leaves, flowers and fruits of many trees and ornamental plantings. |
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