(508) 881-2622
32 Nickerson Rd.
Ashland, MA 01721
Ashland, MA 01721
Providing a correctly constructed mulch ring around your trees is one of the most important things that should be done to protect trees. Newly planted trees will grow and establish faster due to increased moisture availability and lessened turf and/or weed competion for water and nutrients. The material used can be bark mulch, aged wood […]
Hemock woolly adelgid has captured much of the press in recent years regarding our eastern hemlocks. There has, however, been a noticeable increase in the presence of another insect pest of hemlocks in the last few years. Elongate hemlock scale, an armored or hard scale, is being found more frequently here in parts of the […]
Two-lined chestnut borer adults are now active. The adult stage of this insect is a beetle that prefers to attack stressed or declining oaks and beech trees. The insect gets its name from the fact it was a primary pest of the American chestnut tree and has 2 thin lines on its back. The […]
One of the more common scale insect pests seen in landscapes here in the Notheast is cottony taxus (cottony camelia) scale. This insect is easiliy recognized due to the cottony white appearance of egg-laying, adult females. The adult females produce a long (<1/2”), narrow band of a cottony looking substance (egg sac) that houses and […]
A new insect pest to be watchful for on your property is viburnum leaf beetle. The insect, which is native to Europe, was found in the mid 20th century in Canada and has now spread into Massachusetts and other northeastern states. Damage to plants consists of leaf feeding both in the larval and adults […]
The month of May is when two of our more common ambrosia beetles here in the Northeast start to become noticeable in landscapes. Ambrosia beetles are a group of small beetles that attack trees by boring into tree wood producing tunnels (galleries) that are used for rearing of young. Adult beetles carry a fungus that […]
The up and down temperatures this spring affected winter moth development and feeding. Abnormally warm temperatures early in the season brought on premature winter moth egg hatch. Many of the trees that the insect feeds on had yet to have buds swollen enough to allow entry into them for feeding. This was followed by colder […]
This spring weather has resulted in some abnormal activity in landscapes. We are currently about 2-3 weeks ahead of where things normally are phenologically. Typically the second week of May is peak bloom time here in the Boston area. We are on pace for that to occur the 3rd or 4thweek of April. What are the […]
This week’s cold nightly temperatures are causing some tree flowers that are already open to show frost damage. Particularly affected are magnolia flowers (see photo). Temperatures below freezing can cause this tender flower tissue to be killed and brown. Magnolia and other early-flowering trees are always at risk for frost damage and losing their […]
Winter moth caterpillars feeding on Norway maple leaf
As spring approaches we once again need to be aware of significant tree-feeding damage potential due to winter moth caterpillars. This non-native insect pest first began causing tree damage in coastal MA and has continued its advancement further inland. It continues to move deeper into […]
