Sherlock Harris: Tree Health Detective

By Krista Harris
ISA Certified Arborist® OH-6699A
March 12, 2026

"My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people do not know."

©Russell Tree Experts

Wait, actually, my name is Krista Harris and I am an ISA Certified Arborist® by certification and a horticulturist by degree. However, for much of the year, I feel like the Sherlock Holmes of the trees. I get to be a detective in clients' landscapes and help identify and solve problems.

My many years of experience working amongst plants helps me notice the telltale signs and symptoms of insects and diseases before they become a larger issue. When I am scheduled to inspect a property, I start by scanning the landscape for darkened limbs, chlorotic, chewed or abnormal leaves, webbing, tip dieback, sticky honeydew, fungal growth or anything else concerning. I then investigate further to identify the cause of the plant's condition and even treat it on the spot if the timing is right. In most cases, the enemy is a "usual suspect" and easily recognized, especially on particular species. Occasionally, however, my sharper detective skills need to go to work to research a particular pest and how best to combat it. Sometimes, nothing is amiss on the landscape in terms of biological pests, but I discover human or other animal derived mishaps that need corrected in order for trees to thrive.

©Russell Tree Experts

When you have Russell Tree Experts perform an “Inspect & Treat” at your property, all of your trees' and shrubs' immediate and potential ailments are recorded and also treated if the timing for a particular pest will be effective. In some cases, your regional manager will alert you to larger issues discovered during the investigation, like stem-girdling roots or an infestation of insects or fungi that must be treated during a specific time and will quote and arrange that treatment for your trees.

I find tree detective work so rewarding and productive, and I would love to visit your property as your private eye to take a look this season! For a free tree work quote by one of our ISA Certified Arborists®, click here or call us at (614) 895-7000!

"It's always there, the truth. You just need to look for it." - Sherlock Holmes

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