The Asian Longhorn Beetle (ALB) is an invasive insect from Asia. This insect was first discovered in the United States in New York in 1996 and was found to severely damage trees. This massive larva tunnels through trees turning them into Swiss cheese and causing rapid decline.

The ALB’s primary diet is maple trees but has also been found in many other tree species. Maple trees are one of the dominant tree species in our forests.

The ALB is a real and imminent threat to Michigan forests.  The ALB has been found in the surrounding states of Michigan.  This invasive beetle has not yet been found in Michigan. Since insects do not respect state lines, it is a real possibility the ALB is already here.

Because ALB has not yet been found in Michigan, it is important to monitor your trees and self-educate in identifying the invasive insect as well as learning to distinguish it from its native look-a-like, the white spotted sawyer beetle. Other states have had to remove many trees already. If we catch the infestation early, it may be easier to manage.

A mature pin oak on a Grandville site was struggling badly, displaying yellowing leaves.  Perhaps the tree was nutrient deficient or had been stressed.  The cause of the stress was not apparent.  The homeowner was willing to try an experiment which was to have their pin oak injected with Verdure, a plant-growth regulator designed to stimulate root growth and green-up a tree.

The treatment was done in August of 2016.  In June of 2017, the customer called and was happy to announce the tree looked far better than it had the previous year.  This was an exciting success story!

The Verdure Treatment lasts for 3 years.  If your tree appears yellow and you think it may benefit from this, please call our office to schedule a free estimate with one of our certified Arborists!

Trimming oak trees in late Fall or during a hard frost could prevent them from contracting the oak wilt fungal disease.

Originally, it’s been stated to not trim April 15th-July 15th. Although the chances of oak contracting oak wilt decrease slightly after mid-summer, other factors, such as insects, come into play. If insects such as the picnic beetle are present, there is a potential the disease will likely spread.

We will not trim oaks until a hard frost. One of our estimators visited a property on the lakeshore this summer to look at an oak dead from oak wilt. Apparently, a couple of low branches were trimmed off a nearby oak in the previous year in September. Immediately following the trimming, tree paint was painted over the wounds.  A few weeks later, the oak died from oak wilt.  It was removed the following Fall and, in the Spring, a nearby oak had also died due to oak wilt. Even though this homeowner waited until September to trim the oak, and even with tree paint applied to the cuts immediately following pruning, this oak still succumbed to oak wilt.

Because this disease is complicated, expensive to contain, and spreads easily, it is simply not worth the risk to trim an oak before a hard frost.