As area experts, PRO TREES arborists are well-acquainted with the numerous tree species that grow in San Diego County, as well as the pests that afflict them and the treatments that restore tree health, from foliar sprays, to strategic pruning, to full removal in severe cases.
The western oak bark beetle (Pseudopityopthorus pubipennis) is known to bore into local species (such as this this Engelmann oak, above) where it infects the tree with a fungus (Geosmithia pallida) causing a condition known as foamy bark canker.
The canker is easily identified by wet, chalky, discolored spots on the oak’s bark, often oozing liquid down the trunk. Removing this substance will often reveal the original offenders. If you find canker or beetles on your oaks, schedule a consultation with PRO TREES immediately.
Feeding on stone fruit and liquidambar (sweet gum) trees, the red hump caterpillar (Schizura concinna)—endemic to the California’s Central Valley—has recently become a pest of particular concern in San Diego County.
Maturing into a grayish-brown moth, the adult female lays its eggs on the undersides of leaves where the resulting brood remains clustered together, eventually consuming entire sections of foliage.
If you have a liquidambar tree, check the leaves for telltale signs of an infestation. Note the whitening and webbing on the leaf clusters eaten by caterpillars. If you notice this on your liquidambar, call PRO TREES immediately.
The South American palm weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum) is thought to have migrated north from Tijuana, across the U.S./Mexico border, and has since killed hundreds of Canary Island date palms in San Diego County.
Actually a type of boring beetle (but quite exciting to entomologists, buh-dum dum), the large (2”) palm weevil expands its range (now extending into North County) by flying from tree to tree, drilling into and laying eggs in the crowns.
In the event that you notice a collapsing crown on your Canary Island date palm (the signature indicator of a weevil infestation), contact PRO TREES immediately: There may still be time to save the tree.
