Complete Insect and Disease Guide (Printable)
Insect and Disease Guide North Shore Massachusetts
Mayer Tree Service
Essex, MA
888-88MAYER
mayertree.com
There are many insect and disease pests of trees in Massachusetts, some…
Anthracnose
This fungus is very common among flowering dogwoods, and several other trees. Initially it causes a dieback of new foliage, and works its way into the twig causing new twigs to die…
Apple Scab
This fungal disease is very disfiguring to the fruit and foliage of apple and crabapple trees. It can cause reduced vigor of the tree through reduced photosynthetic ability, as well…
Asian Longhorn Beetle
Although not yet a pest on the North Shore, this beetle is present in Worcester County, and was also spotted in Jamaica Plain. This destructive pest favors maple, elm, horsechestnut,…
Bronze Birch Borer
White birches are highly prone to infestation of the bronze birch borer, a small woodboring insect that will kill the host tree, usually first seen as dieback from the top downward.
Visible…
Carpenter Ants
While not a threat to tree health, these insects can threaten a tree's structure. Carpenter ants will tunnel through dead wood, entering through old wounds and cracks.
The ants may…
Cedar-Apple Rust
This alternate host disease can distort the foliage, fruit, and twigs of apples and crabapples, but is mostly a cosmetic injury. For ornamental crabapples in areas of high visibility,…
Cytospora Canker
This is a common fungal disease of blue spruce, as well as other evergreen tree species. Starting as a dieback of lower branches, the disease slowly progresses up the tree, causing…
Dutch Elm Disease
First seen as "flagging", this disease quickly spreads throughout the tree, and will usually kill it within 1-2 years. American elm is the most susceptible, and few old elms exist today…
Emerald Ash Borer
Not yet known to be in Massachusetts, this pest has been spotted near the border in New York. The adult insect is of little consequence, but the larvae will feed in the vascular tissue…
Fireblight
Fireblight is a potentially fatal disease of ornamental trees, especially apple, crabapple, and hawthorne. This bacterial disease leaves the appearance that the foliage was scorched.
If…
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Often seen as white cottony masses on the undersides of the twigs of Canadian and Carolina hemlocks, this small aphid-like pest is a serious threat to our beautiful native hemlock trees.
If…
Emerald Ash Borer
Not yet known to be in Massachusetts, this pest has been spotted near the border in New York. The adult insect is of little consequence, but the larvae will feed in the vascular tissue…
Fireblight
Fireblight is a potentially fatal disease of ornamental trees, especially apple, crabapple, and hawthorne. This bacterial disease leaves the appearance that the foliage was scorched.
If…
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Often seen as white cottony masses on the undersides of the twigs of Canadian and Carolina hemlocks, this small aphid-like pest is a serious threat to our beautiful native hemlock trees.
If…
Leafminers
Leafminers are larvae that feed inside of a leaf, causing noticeable damage. Peeling open an infested leaf will reveal small, wormlike insects. They are commonly found in birch, holly,…