Agricultural threats usually entail the attack of pests. While they would seem harmless to humans, pests are notorious for harming crops, trees, and the likes. If left uncontrolled, the damages inflicted by pests can truly exasperate livelihood for quite a lot of people, and on a larger scale, the source of food for majority of the people in the Philippines. Luckily with the dawn of new age and innovations’ rapid propagation, businesses for pest and termite control have become our saving grace for these travesties.
Threats such as pests and destructible insects are most detrimental when hungry. That being said, when on the occasion that hunger strikes them, natural instincts would move them to quickly scarf down on any biotic entity they set their eyes upon on. There are some beneficial and good-natured insects, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Check out the five most notorious culprits that are the most common killers of tress! (Despite our track record, humans are not included in this list.)
Asian Longhorned Beetle
They mainly munch on hardwoods and are usually spotted in places like Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Ontario, living on and off any kind or species of hardwood such as oaks, poplars, mountain ash, birch trees and maples. Pests like these are usually borer insects, meaning they have larvae that are able to dig tunnels throug the trunk of trees, while the adults would hollow out oval furrows in the bark. You can easily spot them because of their dark, glossy bodies, irregular white spots, and long antennae. Not to mention, the Asian Longhorned Beetle are pretty large, ranging from 0.75-1.25 inches long.
Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle
Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetles are villainous because of their known affection for destroying spruce trees. They often target weakened and distressed trees. When a spruce has holes in their bark as well as flowing resin, then it is almost certain that the suspects are Bruce Spruce Longhorn Beetles. Their larvae digs an “L” shaped tunnel under the bark on the trees they infest.
Spruce Budworm
Otherwise known as the choristoneura occidentalis, Spruce Budworms are more common and widespread in forests of North America. They would destroy and infest on douglas-fir and white fir, also there are times when they would infest on spruce, blue spruce and sub-alpine fir. They are very obvious to spot because of their caterpillar appearance and are usually brown. While they normally live in the forest, there is also a large possibility of them visiting you in your backyard as well.
Beech Scale
Beech Scales are one of the most common pests that can detriment any tree and are surprisingly tiny, usually no bigger than 1 mm. Usually when Beech Scales wreak havoc, they would use their mouthpiece to suck and pierce through the bark of a tree to suck its sap. These holes they make will take a long time to close, if ever at all. The infected tree usually has a hard time recovering, and they become more vulnerable to fungal infections and diseases that could cause its eventual decay.
Emerald Ash Borer
Ash trees in other parts of the world are the most prominent figures of forests, and they are especially abundant in cities as well. These ash trees are the favorite targets of Emerald Ash Borers. These critters love to dig an “S” shaped grooved in the tree’s bark, which can kill it slowly in five years’ time. The ash trees that get infected would have a distinctive hole that can easily influence other shoots of the tree to become ill, which may cause the tree to lose its leaves among other things.
It’s sad to think that one of our most beloved entities of nature are easy prey for pests. However, take comfort in knowing that this can be prevented. Should you suspect that the trees in your beloved front or backyard have unwanted visitors, do not hesitate to call for pest control to confirm!