This Blog Post is Not a Borer
We won’t pull a René Magritte.
Borers (boring insects) are real, and they cause real damage to trees.
Boring Through the Unnatural
Unaccustomed to its new environment, the Sycamore tree you fell in love with at the nursery doesn’t look happy anymore.
The tree is stressed, and as a result, you’re stressed.
What are Borers?
Borers are pest insects that dig or bore beneath the bark of trees. They feed on the roots and branches of trees and eat away at them, cutting off the vascular system (the water supply) and causing internal damage.
Certain types of borers can transfer a fungus to the tree. They leave behind a growing buffet for their larvae. It’s the fungus that deals the final blow.
If left to their own devices, borers may cause tree death.
Recently, several borers have debuted in Southern California news. Our team of ISA Certified Arborists stays sharp to the latest treatment methods for borers in the area, keeping in contact with the local hot spots for brain activity (hello, UC Riverside!).
The Artist formerly known as the Polyphagous Shothole Borer, now dubbed the Invasive Shothole Borer (ISHB), lays claim for its longevity in the Southern California news cycle. This borer spreads fusarium and most commonly affects Eucalyptus, Sycamore, and Avocado trees.
Vying for its 15 minutes of fame is the flashy Gold-Spotted Oak Borer. The Team at Sims Tree Health Specialists has been made aware of its rise to fame and notoriety and is ready to apply the appropriate treatment for these borers.
What to Look For
Borers may be present on a tree if you see:
● Top-down dieback of the branches and crown
● Sapping
● Cracked bark
● Wilted shoots
● Leaf discoloration
● Leaf drop
● Large limbs may break and drop in the wind.
Typically, borers like to feast on trees, shrubs, and plants growing in non-native environments. Transplanted trees are most at risk!
Stressors, such as soil compaction, sun scalds (sunburns), drought, nutrient deficiencies, and injuries, place trees at a greater risk.
Preventing Borers
You won’t sway them away with dinner and a show!
An ISA Certified Arborist at Sims Tree Health Specialists may recommend a systemic insecticide application when the tree leaves out, typically in the spring through the early fall.
Borers spend most of their lives inside trees. Systemic insecticides move up the tree’s Xylem and down through the Phloem. When applied, systemics go “Xy to the Sky” or “Phloem to the Floor,” slowing top-down dieback and gutting the borer’s food supply.
Practicing what Sims THS Arborists call “good cultural practices” can help! Proper mulching, watering, fertilizing, pruning, and injury prevention lower a tree’s chances of contracting borers.
Summary
Stress prevention, like in humans, helps a tree’s “immune system” fight off pests like borers, further preventing more stress and internal damage.
At the first sign of borers, call the team of ISA Certified Arborists at Sims Tree Health Specialists!
About Sims Tree Health Specialists, Inc.
Sims Tree Health Specialists, Inc. is dedicated to the preservation, education, improved health, and safety of trees. Sims THS has provided California’s Urban Forests with premium healthcare since 1972. To learn more, visit our website: https://www.simsths.com/
Sims THS offers services with our ISA Certified Arborists in the following:
Diagnosis and Disease Management, Pest Suppression, Organic Solutions, Fruit Suppression, Drought Protection, and Arborist Assessment Reports and Preservation Plans. In addition to providing quality tree health services, the Sims family is known for their educational pursuits. In 1996, they started the Sims Tree Learning Center (TLC), a 6-acre botanical garden and research facility sponsored by Sims Tree Health Specialists, Inc. The facility houses multiple types of gardens, including a cactus and succulent garden and one of the largest collections of Palms in the Inland Empire. Learn with us!
Comments