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RTEC Treecare

Expert Tree Care in the DC Metro Area | Call 703-573-3029 to talk to a Tree Care Expert.

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Wood Boring Insects And Stressors

Resources: Tree Problems

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Asian Longhorn Beetle

Wood boring insects are one of the most destructive pests that plague a wide variety of tree species. These borers tunnel through the tree’s bark, feed on it’s tissue, and overwinter within the tree. Wood Boring insects are extremely destructive because they kill trees from the inside out. They do this by feeding on the vascular tissue, which reduces the tree’s ability to transfer energy and nutrients.

Wood boring insects in our area include the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Bronze Birch Borer, and Ambrosia Beetle.

Signs Of Wood Boring Insects

Exit Hole From A Wood Boring Beetle
Exit Hole From A Wood Boring Beetle
  • Entry/exit holes in the bark.
  • Small mounds of sawdust at the base of the tree.
  • Sections of the crown wilting and dying.

Although wood boring insects can severely damage your tree and should be treated by a Certified Arborist, they are really just a sign pointing to a larger problem.

Secondary Invaders

Wood Boring insects, like the Ambrosia beetle, rarely infest healthy trees. Instead these borers are known for being secondary invaders. Secondary invaders are pests that only infect trees after they are in a weakened state. This weakened state can be created by what are called stressors. Stressors are environmental or human inflicted situations that increase the tree’s susceptibility to attack; similar to how our immune system lowers when we don’t get much sleep, thus we end of catching a cold. For trees stressors typically include drought, soil compaction, sun scald, or injuries. When a tree is exposed to stressors they become an easy target for insects and diseases.

Many theories have been proposed for why this phenomenon occurs. The two biggest being, the idea of insects and diseases responding to tree stress pheromones and the idea of insects and diseases responding to trees running a fever when stressed. At the end of the day researchers are not positive how insects and diseases spot weakened trees but they are positive it happens and that it’s imperative to protect our trees from becoming easy targets.

Don’t See Signs Of Wood Boring Insects?

If you don’t see signs of wood boring insects on your trees this is a great opportunity to have an Arborist evaluate your tree’s stressors and create a plan to keep your tree as healthy as possible and prevent secondary invaders like wood boring insects.

See Signs Of Wood Boring Insects?

To combat Wood Boring insects our Arborists recommend treating the tree with an insecticide as well as identifying and treating the underlying stressors that led to your tree being infected by secondary invaders in the first place.

If you have a Canopy Protection Program don’t fret; our arborists will easily be able to combat these pests and stressors on your property. Just give us a call at 703.573.3029 or email us and let us know your seeing signs of wood boring insects.

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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