Aphids like to feed on the soft growth of almost any plant. This includes most trees, though in Calgary Birch (Betula), Willow (Salix), Maple (Acer) and Mayday (Prunus padus) seem to be most affected. Aphids are able to reproduce without males which can lead to huge populations some years. Heavy populations can be tough to [...]
This insect is becoming a more serious pest to Ash trees in Calgary. Hot weather and a lack of water can cause stress for Green Ash and make them more susceptible to infestation. The Western Ash Bark Beetle lays its eggs in twigs and branches. Larvae develop and start galleries in the stem. As feeding [...]
Ash Leaf Cone Roller had become more established in Calgary over the previous decade but hasn’t been as bad the past few years. It mainly affects Green Ash trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). While the insect is in the caterpillar stage the insect rolls the leaf into a cone shape, causing the objectionable look of the tree. [...]
Has the top of your Spruce tree ever looked like this? The insect that causes this damage is the White Pine Weevil. It’s name is deceiving, at least in our area, here it mainly does it’s damage to Spruce trees. This weevil is a small brown beetle with a long ‘snout‘. Although the adult is [...]
Usually at this time of year we are rushing to finish up our Elm pruning for our clients. This is due to the pruning ban that is put in place annually to protect our Elms. Calgary is one of the few places in North America that remains Dutch Elm Disease free. The ban goes into [...]
We have been seeing a number of hedges around Calgary the last few years that are severely infested with Oystershell Scale. The damage appears as large sections of the hedge that “dieback” or fail to leaf out due to the infestation. This results in a very patchy, ragged look. As you can see in the [...]
