As a business owner, you care about the appearance and vitality of your location's outdoor spaces, including its nearby trees and landscaping. However, insect infestations can affect the integrity and health of trees on your property, presenting a potential danger to anyone who comes in. Here's a guide to help you identify the signs of an infestation and know when it's time for tree removal services. 

How to Tell if Your Tree Is Infested With Insects

1. Leaf Damage

It's not uncommon to see a few bites taken out of tree leaves. However, substantial defoliation and loss of leaves during the wrong season indicate the presence of damaging insects, such as moths and webworms. The most obvious sign is damage to the leaves themselves, but you might also detect insects and nests within the affected tree. Particularly severe infestations can result in entire leaves being eaten away. 

2. Holes in Trunks & Branches

Boring insects, including emerald ash borers and bark beetles, tunnel through bark as they feed. If they continue to tunnel, the flow of nutrients and water through the tree will be negatively impacted. In addition to holes in branches and trunks, you may also notice the presence of frass, or insect droppings, around the tree. Boring insects typically target trees already compromised by some other issue, such as fungal growth, which means tree removal might be necessary. 

3. Withered Leaves

While some insects eat leaves for sustenance, others access nutrition from sap. These insects, which include mites and aphids, use small sucking motions to extract sap from the tree. Because they're so small, it can be easy to overlook the insects themselves, but you should be able to spot the damage they cause to leaves. Leaves will appear withered as they're deprived of nutrition. Sap residue is also sometimes detected on leaves and branches as the insects feed.

If you suspect your property's tree has an insect infestation, turn to Alaska Hydro Ax in Anchorage, AK, for prompt tree removal. Their land clearing services are conducted safely and efficiently to minimize disruptions to your business. You can also expect prompt professionalism from this talented team of excavators and tree care specialists. Request a free estimate by calling (907) 243-6200. You can also visit the website to learn more about their services.