Common tree pests, fungi and other diseases
- Aphids
Any group of sap-sucking, soft-bodied insects that are about the size of a pinhead. Aphids can be serious plant pests and may stunt plant growth, cause the deformation of leaves, buds, and flowers. - Bagworms
A defoliating caterpillar related to moths and butterflies that commonly feeds on the foliage of many coniferous and deciduous trees. - Chestnut Bores
The Two-lined Chestnut Borer is an opportunistic insect pest that attacks a variety of species. Adult beetles cause relatively little damage, but the larvae feed on the xylem layer and disrupt the movement of water and minerals within the tree. - Chlorosis
Chlorosis is a serious condition where a tree’s ability to manufacture chlorophyll has been compromised. Chlorotic trees do not produce as much energy to develop a healthy root system, and trees with unhealthy root systems do not extract the water and nutrients from the soil needed for canopy health.
- Crape Myrtle Bark Scale
Scale insects feed within the phloem of trees, creating copious amounts of honeydew, and reducing flower blooms. Sooty mold which presents itself as dark brownish to black fungal growth on hardscapes is often unsightly and challenging to clean. - EAB - Emerald Ash Bore
As of December 2018, emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Tarrant County and several counties in northeast Texas. The emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) is a destructive non-native wood-boring pest of ash trees. This invasive pest has spread, killing millions of ash trees across the country.
- Fire blight
Fire blight is a destructive bacterial disease of apples, crab apples and pear trees, as well as other related plants such as cotoneaster shrubs and mountain ash.
- Hypoxylon Canker
Hypoxylon canker is a disease that appears as a dead lesion on limbs, branches, and trunks of affected trees. . This decay contributes to tree mortality, compromises the structural integrity of the tree, and makes it a danger to life and property.
- Oak Wilt
Oak wilt is a lethal disease caused by a fungus spread by small beetles that feed on sap from fresh wounds. The fungus invades and disables the water-conducting system in white, red, and other Oak species. This fungus can also spread via root grafts to trees of the same species.
- Spider Mite
Spider mites are a common pest on many different species of trees and shrubs. They cause damage to plants by sucking the cell contents out of the leaves, leaving a stippling pattern of irregular yellow spots on the leaves.
Tree Health
