Insect Disease Guide
a guide to helping homeowners
There are many insects carrying diseases located around New England and can easily have a negative effect on the health of your plants and shrubs. Pathfinder Tree Service, LLC has a guide to insects and diseases around our area to help homeowners. For more information or a free estimate, please get in touch with Pathfinder Tree Service today.
APPLE SCAB
A fungal disease very disfiguring to the fruit and foliage of apple and crabapple trees. It can cause reduced vigor of the tree through reduced photosynthetic ability.
ANTHRACNOSE
A fungus very common among flowering dogwoods, and other trees. It can cause a dieback of new foliage, and works its way into the twig causing new twigs to die off.
ASIAN LONGHORN BEETLE
This beetle is present in New England. This destructive pest favors maple, elm, horsechestnut, birch, and other trees.
CYTOSPORA CANKER
This common fungal disease within blue spruce and other evergreen tree species. This disease will slowly go up the tree, causing a decrease in health and aesthetics.
DIPLODIA
Fairly common in New England. This will infect and kill the new growth of hard pines, including red, Austrian, and Scotch. As it progresses, entire branches on the trees will begin to die, leading to tree mortality.
DUTCH ELM DISEASE
This disease quickly spreads and will usually kill trees within 1-2 years. American elm is the most susceptible, and few old elms exist in New England today because of this disease.
CARPENTER ANTS
These pests can ruin a tree’s structure. Carpenter ants will tunnel through dead wood, entering old wounds and cracks making them worse.
BRONZE BIRCH BORER
White birch trees are highly prone to infestation of the bronze birch borer, a small insect that will kill the tree.
CEDAR-APPLE RUST
This alternate host disease can distort the foliage, fruit, and twigs of apples and crabapples, but is mostly a cosmetic injury.
FIREBLIGHT
This disease is potentially fatal to ornamental trees, especially apple, crabapple, and hawthorne. This bacterial disease leaves the appearance that the foliage was scorched.
EMERALD ASH BORER
The adult insect is of little consequence, but the larvae will feed in the vascular tissue of ash trees, which will then disrupt the trees ability to move water and nutrients.
HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID
Usually seen as white cottony masses on the undersides of twigs like Canadian and Carolina hemlocks, this small aphid-like pest is a threat to our New England native trees.
LEAFMINERS
Leafminers are larvae that feed inside of a leaf, showing noticeable damage. If you peel open an infested leaf, it will reveal very small, wormlike insects. They are commonly found in birch, holly, and boxwood trees. This can slowly lead to death of the plant.
LACEBUGS
Lacebugs are usually found on the undersides of leaves, feeding on the sap. These insects will produce a large population, especially in sunny locations. Azaleas are their preferred host, where they will remove so much sap that the leaves will turn white.