Elm Bark Beetles

The elm bark beetle (not to be confused with the Elm Leaf Beetle) is by far the most important factor in the spread of Dutch Elm Disease (DED).

These tiny insects’ lives revolve around elm trees. The female beetle tunnels into the tree between the bark and the wood to lay its eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae tunnel farther into the tree, to feed before emerging as mature beetles.

Adults feed in the crown of the tree, moving from tree to tree before breeding again.

If a beetle breeds or feeds in a DED-infected tree, the sticky spores of the fungus become attached to its back. When the beetle moves to a healthy tree, so do the spores.

There are two species of the elm bark beetle in North America – the European and the Native elm bark beetles. The European is more sensitive to temperature and lives mainly in southern regions. The Native is dominant in the mid-west.

The native elm bark beetle consists of two separate breeding groups. One group over-winters as larvae in the breeding tunnels, while the second group over-winters as adults. These adults emerge from mid-April to mid-May. It is their feeding phase that causes the majority of DED infections. It is believed that the European elm bark beetle over-winters as larvae.

Recommended Steps to Control Elm Bark Beetles

If caught early enough, immediately apply the Multi-Insect Killer Tree Injection Kit treatment to the tree. This insecticide is injected directly into the tree’s vascular system and released quickly to help control insects already inside the vascular system.

To prevent repeated Elm bark beetles, as well as in areas of known Elm Bark beetle activity, a number of steps can be taken to prevent attacks in healthy trees. In the early spring, treating the tree with the Once-A-Year Insecticidal Drench w/Merit helps protect the tree’s vascular system. This treatment can be supplemented by regularly sprayingthe tree’s trunk with a good dosage of Borer-Miner Killer (every three to three weeks), thus creating a barrier to reduce further insect penetration through the bark.

The good news is that healthy, well-situated, well-maintained, and healthy trees are normally more resistant to the borer, so they’re less of a target. Trees under stress are more likely to be targets of the Elm Bark Beetle, so it is important to ensure that elm trees receive adequate water. To help ensure that a tree is healthy, apply a TreeHelp Annual Care Kit for Elm in the spring or early summer which contain the appropriate fertilizer and mycorrhizal treatment to support the proper functioning og the root system.

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TreeHelp Annual Care Kit

SKU: TRKIT-ACA BRAND: TreeHelp

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Description

TreeHelp developed easy-to-use Annual Care Kits to help homeowners maintain healthy and vibrant trees.

TreeHelp Annual Care Kits provide health supplements that are specific and appropriate to the type of tree that you care for. The supplements are designed to promote root-development which will have a lasting effect on the long-term health of your trees. Root development is vital for a tree because it gives the tree a reserve of strength and vitality that will help it survive through periods of drought, nutrient deficiency, insect infestation or disease. Too many fertilizers and other soil additives on the market focus on immediate impact - like "candy for trees". Our soil treatments, on the other hand, provide nutrients and organic elements that will help your tree today and for many years to come.

Some of our more popular kits include:

Palm
Contains 5 Complete Fertilizer spikes with high amounts of Manganese, Magnesium and Potassium, crucial to palm tree health.

Citrus
Contains specialized citrus fertilizer spikes loaded with micronutrients to improve tree health and fruit production

Birch
Birch trees are vulnerable to devastating insects such as Bronze Birch Borer. ?ÿThe Birch Kit is designed to promote stronger growth that helps make your tree less susceptible.

Customized kits are also available for over 90 other types of trees.

Having the right composition of minerals and organic material is extremely important in maintaining tree health. As a result, all of our kits are "custom-built" with specially selected components to suit a particular tree type. For example, the mycorrhizal fungi that benefits an oak tree will have no effect on a maple. And the fertilizer recommended for use on a pine would not be ideal for an elm. With our custom care kits, you can be certain you are applying the right treatments to your trees.

Step 1: Mycorrhizal Fungi

Mycorrhizal fungi is a relatively new soil treatment for trees. Co-existing with trees and plants in nature for hundreds of millions of years, these beneficial fungi provide a "safety net" for the tree in times of stress. By colonizing the roots and extending themselves further into the soil, the fungi enable the tree to take in more nutrients and moisture. The result is a healthier, more robust tree better capable of withstanding the many stressful conditions that exist in an urban environment and to better metabolize nutrients.

Because trees are often transplanted into non-native soils, and because urban soils have often been damaged by pollution and compaction, it is essential to re-introduce mycorrhizal fungi to the soil. Our custom care kits match the correct type of mycorrhizal fungi with specific types of trees.

Step 2: Fertilizer

Fertilizer will always be an important component of a comprehensive tree care program. But it must be done properly. Nutrient balances are difficult to achieve and improper fertilization can have drastically poor effects on trees. All too often, trees are fertilized with Nitrogen-rich, quick-release fertilizers. Not only does this have the potential of 'burning' the soil around the roots, it can also promote structurally weak growth that can attract insects and disease. Our fertilizers, on the other hand, slowly release a carefully measured balance of nutrients into the soil for a constant feeding that provides more long-lasting benefit to your tree.

The fertilizers that are included in our custom care kits have been specially selected to provide maximum benefit to a particular type of tree. The formulations are often very different from species to species and target different biological structures. The result will be a healthier, more vital tree.

Step 3: Biostimulant

TreeHelp Bistimulant is a dry, water-soluble green-up powder that is watered on tree roots as a root drench. BioSurge provides benefits to all types of trees, shrubs, and other garden plants. It is designed to increase the microbial activity in the soil around the root zone and encourage root and lateral bud development, improve the efficiency of a plant’s respiratory and photosynthetic systems and delay the aging process in plant tissue. The unique composition of ingredients includes beneficial bacteria, as well as humic acids extracts, soluble sea kelp, yucca plant extracts, amino acids and vitamins.