Protect Your Trees This Summer!

Protecting one of your property’s greatest natural assets – the mature trees and lush foliage – should be a top priority when maintaining your campus’ curb appeal. Many property managers stay on top of pruning but forget about other ways to improve tree health. At TCOS, we have many plant health solutions to help ease the worry losing beautiful trees to common diseases or insects.

One of the biggest threats to tree health in Minnesota is invasive insects, particularly the Japanese beetle. And, it’s that time of summer when these particularly destructive insects are showing up in mass, hatching and starting to wreak havoc. While the larvae of Japanese beetles can ruin lawns, the adult Japanese beetles feed on foliage, including tree leaves. Host trees include maples, ornamental fruit trees, linden/basswood, elms and birch trees, and the primary symptom to watch for is skeletonization of the leaf surface.

What to do if you’re noticing damage from Japanese beetles

Call TCOS right away if you notice iridescent copper and green insects! It’s not too late to for our landscape crews to apply an insecticide from ArborJet. ACE-jet can be injected into the tree when the damage just begins, and it can help control damage in the tree canopy for 3-5 weeks during the heavy feeding season. Another option is AzaSol, which can be applied as a truck injection, soil drench or foliar spray. Both options are safe for the tree and the surrounding environment, so there’s no reason to worry about the treatment affecting the environment.

Call us today at (763) 235-2416 to discuss an action plan if your property is affected by Japanese beetles or other destructive insects. Our professional crew is here to help!