Bugs that Help Your Trees, & Ones that Don't

Jason Parker from Davey's North Philadelphia office shares types of bugs that can actually help our trees and how to protect them, as well as bugs that can cause severe damage to our trees. 

In this episode we cover:

• Spotted lanternfly (0:34)
• What can be done about bad bugs (6:15)
• Pollinators (7:54)
• Trees that help pollinators (9:23)
• Linden tree (10:32)
• Good bugs (12:41)
• Keeping your trees healthy (13:53)
• How Jason started his job (17:35)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about the spotted lantern fly and its predators, read our blog, Spotted Lanternfly Predators.
To learn more about emerald ash borer, read our blog, Emerald Ash Borer Facts: What Does the Emerald Ash Borer Eat?
To learn more about other tree pests, read our blog, Tree Problems - The Top Tree Insects in Spring and Summer.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Transcript

Doug Oster: Welcome to the Davey Tree Expert Company's podcast, Talking Trees. I'm your host, Doug Oster. Each week, our expert arborists share advice on seasonal tree care, how to make your trees thrive, arborists' favorite trees, and much, much more. Tune in every Thursday to learn more because here at the Talking Trees podcast, we know trees are the answer. I'm joined this week by Jason Parker. He's the district manager at the North Philadelphia office of the Davey Tree Expert Company. We're talking all about bugs today, Jason. What do you want to start with, good bugs or bad bugs?

Jason Parker: Start with the bad bugs. I think that's the easy one.

Doug: Yes, I know. I'm in Pittsburgh, you're in Philadelphia. I saw my first spotted lanternfly last year on the outside of a chicken coop. Of course, I killed it right away. Has that gotten to you guys in Philadelphia yet?

Jason: Yes, my office is located probably three hours from where it was first discovered and we're just inundated with them. Probably the number one invasive on most people's list on the East Coast right now.

Doug: All right, tell me all about it. What is it after? I've heard tree of heaven, which is no, we don't care about, but I've also heard fruit trees and grapevines. Tell me.

Jason: Yes, this is a tough one. A lot of invasive insects, it came from Asia, made its way over here in some shipping material, it's a real common way we get these invasives here, and has really started to wreak havoc because there aren't a whole lot of natural predators here. Whereas over in Asia, they do have some natural predators that keep them in check. The tough part about spotted lanternflies, it's got over 70 host species. You hit one that's their favorite for sure, the tree of heaven, and you're right. Not particularly a tree that we care a lot about.

It's more of a weed tree, kind of grows wherever. See them a lot in abandoned lots in cities and stuff like that. What we do care about a lot are things like the maples, which is another one of their favorites. Of course, all the damage they're doing to the tree itself, but also the secondary problems that come in. The lanternfly creates a honeydew, which then brings in other insects. It creates things like sooty mold. Plus they're just really annoying. They're big, they fly right at you. Definitely a major nuisance pest.

Then when you get into the ag side of things, that is where it really gets a little bit scary because yes, grapes, anything viney, they really love those. Hops is another one. Of course, two big industries that could be pretty majorly impacted. What we really need to try to do is minimize the spread because a lot of those harvested plants, you can't use traditional pesticides on if you're planning on then harvesting them. Our control options are certainly limited there. Anything we can do to limit the spread, slow it down, all going to be great things. PA has actually been pretty proactive with trying to limit the spread.

Doug: What is the damage they do to plants besides the honeydew and that sort of thing? What is the actual damage they do?

Jason: It's mostly that they're sucking out sap. Of course, when you do that to a tree, that's what the tree uses to make food for itself, keep itself energized, do all the processes that it would do in its normal life. You've taken that away, you're taking a lot of the energy away from the tree that it should be using for other things. When that happens, trees get into decline and then a lot of secondary pests that might not be killers on their own can then come in and do damage.

In some of the fruit trees, we've seen that a couple of seasons of lanternfly damage has actually started to because some pretty serious damage to some of the bark and the smaller twig tissues where it's actually cracking and breaking apart. Some of the additional damage beyond the honeydew and the sooty mold and things like that is we've seen after multiple years of infestation that the smaller twigs will actually have some damage. We see cracking of the bark and some actual structural damage there. Again, not a huge issue right now for the primary pests, the secondary pests are a concern right now, but after multiple years of infestation rather than you may have some bigger issues that come up.

Doug: It's my understanding that there'd be like hundreds of them on a tree, right? Just all together and then if you disrupt them, they fly out but then fly right back. Do I have that right?

Jason: Yes, absolutely. I mean, hundreds, thousands. We've seen some pretty bad infestations right in and around my office in Montgomery County. Yes, it's pretty crazy. The bark actually will look like it's moving because there are so many insects on the lower portion of the trunk.

Doug: Talk a little bit about the controls.

Jason: Yes, so the best way to control lanternflies with a systemic treatment, it's very simple. It's bark applied, the tree takes it up, it dries in about an hour. No real concerns about other insects. It's got to go be eating the tree in order for it to actually be impacted. No concerns about birds or anything like that. It's a really good process. You do it once just before adult emergence and that will protect you for the entire season. Product's a little bit expensive, but it does a great job. Like I said, it really limits any other potential off-target issues.

Doug: Over the years, I'm sure you've seen this before, some type of invasive explode, but then in general, does Mother Nature usually figure it out or are we figuring it out or both?

Jason: I think it's both. Yes, we've definitely seen a lot of it. Emerald ash borer is a good example that a lot of people are probably familiar with. That started out in the Great Lakes area, made its way to the East Coast, and now it's sort of dying back because so many ash trees were lost. The ash trees that are still around, people have been protecting them. There's that, if a food source goes away, that's one thing, but the big difference between lanternfly and emerald ash borer is emerald ash borer just went after ash. Spotted lanternfly is going after 70 host species. Obviously, we don't want to lose all of those host species just to control the insect. I think we have to do something about it before it really starts to become a major problem.

Doug: People should learn what a spotted lanternfly looks like. If you do ever see one on its own, kill it. [laughs] I've only seen one, thank goodness, but I know that's not the end of it. If I ever see one, I'm smashing it, so.

Jason: Absolutely, got lots of stories about handing your kids a tennis racket to help control them. Whatever we can do, one less is one that's not going to lay eggs, so all good.

Doug: Let's get on to some good bugs and a better topic. Let's talk a little bit first about trees and pollinators.

Jason: I think that's a subject that's gotten a lot more attention here recently. I think most people realize the benefits that pollinators do for us, not only in our gardens, but agriculturally, it definitely impacts business. Then I think we're getting a better understanding of why we need to be responsible with everything that we're doing to help protect those pollinators. Because once they're gone, they're gone. I think pesticide manufacturers have done a really good job of taking that seriously.

They're creating formulations that are bee-friendly, and they're changing their labels to put the precautions out there for applicators as well as homeowners, saying, "Hey, this is a potential problem for bees. Only apply it in these certain scenarios." Typically, that's going to be avoiding treating something when it's flowering and could be attracting bees in. We've come a long way. I think we've still got plenty of work to do, but the more knowledge we can put out there about the importance of pollinators, which does extend beyond bees, but I'd say that they're a primary one, is all going to be good.

Doug: If I'm thinking about putting some trees in, right tree, right place, is there anything in particular that's especially helpful for a pollinator, or any tree that I put in is going to be a positive?

Jason: I would always say any tree you put in is going to be a positive. However, specifically for pollinators, anything that's a flowering tree is going to be something that is going to attract them. Your crab apples and dogwoods and things like that, definitely going to be a primary one. Now, all trees do produce some level of flower. A lot of them are not very showy. They may not really attract pollinators much, but it doesn't mean the pollinators won't go to them. A linden is a great example of one that people don't think of as particularly flowering, but pollinators love it. That's flowering about this time of year. The tough part with trees like a linden is they do have other bad bugs that get on them, such as Japanese beetles. You have got a balance what you want to do for pollinators and what other pests you could potentially be bringing to the property.

Doug: Talk a little bit about a linden, because it's funny, I have a friend that gardens here professionally at our local amusement park, and they have a stand of lindens that she says that when they bloom, they are so fragrant, it's too much for her. [laughs] One or two lindens when they bloom, talk a little bit about the fragrance, how do you rate that tree as a tree for a homeowner?

Jason: You're absolutely right about the fragrance, especially if you have multiples and a couple of local HOAs that are lined with lindens. You drive down that street this time of year. It is almost overwhelming. No doubt, quite a fragrant tree. I think having one probably in the corner of the property is what most people would like. It's a good tree, it has a beautiful shape to it. It's one that has a very natural tree-like shape, a little bit more on the pyramidal side rather than a rounded canopy.

Other than the Japanese beetle problem and maybe aphids doesn't have a whole lot of insect problems, really doesn't get any diseases. It is a pretty hearty tree, a good root system. The only thing is you definitely want to start pruning it early on to make sure that you don't run into structural problems. Because of that sort of very uniform canopy, the branching structure is a little bit tight, so you got to get rid of those branches that could be problematic in the future for you.

Doug: Is it something that's getting put into landscapes very often nowadays, or is it less used in the landscape?

Jason: It's not super popular, but with the lanternfly now, everybody's revisiting their go-to trees. Because I'll be honest, red maples were one of my favorites. Now I'm thinking twice about putting them in because I know that it's going to be a constant ongoing care item.

Doug: Let's talk a little bit more about good bugs and how they can help take care of the bad bugs.

Jason: Yes, absolutely. One of the things that we do when we're talking about integrated pest management and proper care for your trees and shrubs is really try and make sure that we're using the least toxic products possible, ones that are only going to target the specific insect that we're going after whenever possible. We don't want to come in and spray everything because there are so many good bugs out there. There's all kinds of different spiders. I think most people are familiar with ladybugs being a real positive.

Those kind of insects will control small amounts of bad bugs when they come onto the property. If you can keep your trees and shrubs healthy, and you really are trying to reduce the amount of pesticide use on your property, keep those good bugs working for you because they're going to control the population unless it's something that becomes overwhelming like a lanternfly, or something very specific like an emerald ash borer. A healthy tree and good bugs on the property will go a long way to maintaining themselves.

Doug: Let's revisit healthy trees and how to keep them healthy. I'm just basically talking water and fertilization. Two of the things that I think are-- and I talk a lot about it on this podcast, two of the things that are often completely forgotten about by homeowners.

Jason: Absolutely. I'm going to go back just a little further to one thing you said: right tree, right place. If we can do that first, that's great. What we find is, especially now with the housing market being so active, there's a lot of new homeowners out there, and they're moving into properties where they don't have any control over what was planted. Now we got to figure out how to maintain them. Fertilization, absolutely the most important thing you could possibly do on any property. Most of us take some sort of vitamin or supplement or something like that to what we're doing for the trees.

The soil in most areas has been stripped off, it may be missing nutrients, may have deficiencies for other reasons. It's not going to provide everything that some of these trees need. If we can make sure the tree's got the right nutrients, it's going to help with healthy growth. We don't want excessive growth, we want healthy growth. We want it to focus on the fibrous root systems so it can take up water, it'll deal with drought stress. All of that is just keeping a tree healthy, and fertilization is the best way you can possibly do that.

Water, then again, is another very important piece of that. Certainly, we all think about watering trees when we first put them in. You put in new trees, new shrubs, you're out there watering, you've made that investment. What unfortunately happens is a lot of us stop. We get busy, we think it's been in for a year, don't have to think about it anymore. While Mother Nature does a great job for us, she doesn't always provide everything that we need in terms of water for the trees and shrubs.

When we get hot and dry, don't forget that your trees need water just as much as anything else. Take the hose out there, put it on a light trickle, let it really soak in, promote that deep watering. Again, we'll go a long way. If it is a landscape that you've put in, you've made that investment, protect it. Water, the grand scheme of things, is a pretty inexpensive way to protect the investment you've made in your property.

Doug: When I do it, I run the hose, like you said, on a trickle. I put the timer on the microwave, if I'm inside working on the computer. Then after depending on the size of the tree, 15, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, maybe an hour, two hours, you never know, depending on how big the tree is. I'm out, and I'm moving that hose. Also the same principle for my tomato plants, but that's another story.

Jason: Yes. No, that's a great way of doing it. The other thing that I always tell people to do is, while drip irrigation doesn't solve everything, it can certainly solve a lot of problems where you might have a row of shrubs or something like that, you can weave the drip irrigation in between. They also make some really simple timers for actually your irrigation system. If you don't want to go and install an irrigation system, but you don't want to forget about it, you can set a timer to go off once a day for an hour or whatever it is that you need. Really try and make it simple on yourself. Spend a couple bucks upfront, but then you know, again, you're protecting that investment you've made.

Doug: Jason, how did you get into this job?

Jason: My dad actually worked for Davey Tree up in Toronto area, and he moved actually down to Kent for the job. I grew up around trees and around the Davey company. I actually started working in our East Cleveland operation at the time, because quite frankly, they were paying better than anybody else for summer work. I wanted to maximize my summer earnings. Moved out to the Philadelphia area as I came down here for school, and was actually doing some construction.

The construction company ended up closing, so I actually reached out to someone I worked with in East Cleveland for a reference, and he was part of the recruiting department. He said, "Hey, why don't you go to the North Philadelphia office based in Horsham," which is right around the corner from where I was living, and the rest is history. It is a landscaper for them, and I've held every position from there all the way up to District Manager, which is what I'm doing now.

Doug: Tell me a little bit about what you get out of your job as District Manager.

Jason: Obviously, as manager, there's a lot of managing that goes on, but I'll tell you, the best part of my job is when I'm not managing, it's when I'm out in the field doing sales. It's part of the reason that I was attracted to Davey and the job in general. I love being outside. I love being on beautiful properties. I love seeing people's trees. As I get older, and I've had kids, understanding the importance of the preservation of the trees and our green spaces and our communities has really become that much more important to me. I get to do something that I love every single day, and I get to do it on beautiful properties with people that most of the time have a like mindset of mine of wanting to be able to preserve their trees and their landscapes.

Doug: Jason, I'm going to leave it right there. That is perfect. Thanks so much for our information on good bugs and bad bugs, and keeping our trees healthy. Very much appreciate your time and the information. Thank you.

Jason: Great, thanks, Doug. I appreciate it too.

Doug: Tune in every Thursday to the Talking Trees podcast from the Davey Tree Expert Company. I'm your host, Doug Oster. Next week, we're focusing on the temperatures of summer: how to keep your trees protected from extreme heat. I'd love it if you would subscribe to the podcast. We're always covering important topics, but in fun ways. As always, we'd like to remind you on the Talking Trees podcast, trees are the answer.

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