Tree Services, Plant Health Care
and Pest Management
Call 702-566-BUGS (2847)
and Pest Management
Call 702-566-BUGS (2847)
Aphids are common pests that can attack a variety of home garden and landscape plants. Aphids seldom kill a plant, but when abundant they remove large quantities of sap, which reduces the vigor of the plant and it can result in stunted growth. Leaves will often become curled, puckered and yellowed due to aphid feeding. They can also transmit viruses from one plant to another. Aphids are small, usually 1/8 inch or less in size and their color can vary from green, yellow, black, gray or red. Although their lifespan is relatively short, they can reproduce very quickly. The best way to control aphids is with a specially mixed, regular landscape spray.
Scale insects are common pests of many trees and shrubs. Scale is a difficult insect to control because they do not resemble most insects and they remain immobile most of their life. However, while residing on your tree or shrubs scale will literally suck the life out of your plants. The signs of scale may resemble the lack of water on your plants. Leaves turn yellow and drop, twigs and limbs may die and the bark cracks. Scales can kill trees and shrubs if they are not controlled in time. Heavily infested plants are often covered with small, disk-like or waxy coverings, and underneath each covering is the scale organism feeding on the juices of the plant. Select Services is able to eradicate scale with specialized chemicals and regular treatment.
Spider Mites are not insects but arachnids. Unlike scale, spider mites can travel quickly from one plant to another, spreading toxins as it goes. Mites damage plants by sucking cell contents from leaf tissue. The initial damage appears as a peppering of light dots on the leaves. As the leaf’s nutrients are consumed it will turn yellow and fall from the plant or tree. Spider Mites may also leave webbing behind as evidence. These creatures are very small and may be difficult to spot. If you believe you may have an infestation of Spider Mites we will be happy to have one of our trained technicians come out for a free, no obligation evaluation of your trees and shrubs.
The Mealybug is another common pest that feeds on the juices of your plants. They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax layer used for protection while they suck the life out of your precious vegetation. Mealybugs infestations can occur rapidly. The female produces 50-100 eggs at each laying and the young mature within weeks. If you have a Mealybug infestation it is also possible to have an Ant problem. Ants protect Mealybugs from predators and parasites. The Pest Free can evaluate and solve each of these problems.
Borers can be a serious problem for the health of your trees. Borers feed inside the stems, branches or trunks of trees and woody plants. Once inside, these pests literally eat your trees from the inside out. Severe infestations can result in the decline and death of trees. Generally, the presence of borers is indicated by their holes through the bark that are often located at the base of the tree or in crevices. Other signs may include a gummy substance being emitted by the tree or dead areas in or under the bark. Our ISA Certified Arborists can evaluate the condition of your tree or plants to determine how severe an infestation may be.
Grubs, or white grubs, come from beetle larvae. You can typically find these grubs in your soil during the late spring and early summer. The most notorious lawn grubs are the Japanese beetles, masked chaffers, and Asiatic and June Beetles. They are called white grubs because the larvae are white and have six tiny legs. White grub larvae do most of their damage in the summer. In the Fall the larva burrow themselves 6 to 8 inches into the soil. They emerge in the early spring as egg laying beetles. The eggs hatch in the spring and the larva start growing and eating. Grubs feast on the roots of grass and small shrubs. Once the grubs have eaten the root system, your lawn or shrubs will begin to look unhealthy. The adult beetles do not damage grass, but eat holes in the leaves of shrubs. The cycle begins again as the beetle lays eggs back into the soil.
