Bark Beetles:?????EUR??,,?EUR Bark beetles are the most devastating insects to pines. They exist throughout North America in both eastern and western forms, are commercially destructive and are a contender for the most destructive tree insect in the country.

The pest will kill healthy trees and trees already weakened by other factors. The bark beetles girdle trees while building egg-laying galleries. The lack of sap flow immediately kills the tree, the insects move to adjacent live trees and the damage spreads.

Eucalyptus Redgum Lerp Psyllid:?????EUR??,,?EUR The redgum lerp psyllid (Glycaspis brimblecombei) was found in Los Angeles in 1998 and has spread throughout much of California. This insect from Australia also occurs in Florida and Mexico and may eventually infest much of the southern United States where susceptible eucalyptus trees are grown.

Spruce Budworm:?????EUR??,,?EUR Spruce budworm is one of the most destructive native insects in the northern spruce and fir forests of the eastern United States and Canada. Outbreaks occur every few years and balsam fir is the species most severely damaged by the bud-worm.

Gypsy Moth:?????EUR??,,?EUR The exotic gypsy moth has been called one of the “most notorious pests of hardwood trees in the eastern United States.” Since 1980, the gypsy moth larvae has defoliated close to a million or more forested acres each year. The moth was introduced into the United States in 1862.

Emerald Ash Borer:?????EUR??,,?EUR The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an exotic, wood-boring beetle discovered in Michigan in 2002. EAB is blamed for killing millions of ash trees annually and forcing quarantines on firewood and tree nursery stock in several states.

Longhorned Beetles:?????EUR??,,?EUR This group of insects includes the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). The ALB was first found in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1996 but has now been reported in 14 states and threatening more.

The adult insects lays eggs in an opening in the bark. The larvae then bore large galleries deep into the wood. These “feeding” galleries disrupt the vascular functioning of the tree and eventually weaken the tree to the point that the tree literally falls apart and dies.

Elm Bark Beetle:?????EUR??,,?EUR The native elm bark beetle and/or the European elm bark beetle is critical for overland spread of Dutch elm disease (DED) and is worthy of being included in this “worst” list. The DED fungus is transmitted to healthy trees in two ways: bark beetles transmit spores from diseased to healthy trees and root grafting can also spread the disease when tightly spaced.

Tent Caterpillars:?????EUR??,,?EUR The eastern (ETC) and forest (FTC) tent caterpillars are first seen in the spring in eastern U.S. deciduous forests. The ETC makes its nest in the fork of branches. The FTC actually builds no tent but is by far the most destructive of the two.

Tree Facts

10 ?EUR??,,????'??+ Acres, the recommended size of the area to be treated for pest control by spraying trees.

80?EUR??,,????'??+ Percentage of the forested area in the spray block that should be treated.