Time will inevitably take its course in degrading the wood, but there are also methods to expedite the process. Replicating years of natural decay can be accomplished easily through various methods of cutting and drilling, processes already familiar to an experienced arborist, while utilizing the same daily tools.

The major disadvantage of invasive trees is that they reduce biodiversity. When an invasive species takes over an area, it can replace native plants due to winning the competition for space. This can throw the native food web out of whack and change habitats and food that local wildlife depend on.

Female white pine weevils use their comically long snout to chew holes just below the terminal bud. They then drink the tree's sugary phloem and lay 1-4 eggs in the resulting feeding holes. Several females may infest a single terminal leader, resulting in hundreds of weevil larvae chowing down on the tree's precious vascular system.

The Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is one of the most recognizable trees in the Midwest. It is an Ohio native but also grows naturally throughout the Midwest and as far south as Texas. Ohio Buckeye is incredibly hardy and urban-tolerant and is considered a medium-sized tree, typically reaching heights of 30 to 40 feet, although exceptional trees can grow considerably taller under favorable conditions, and I’ve seen a number of specimens much larger over the years. 

Many homeowners first notice the symptoms before they ever see the insects. Sticky honeydew may accumulate on leaves, patio furniture, decks, vehicles, and other nearby surfaces. As honeydew builds up on foliage and branches, it promotes the growth of a black fungus known as sooty mold. Infested trees may also develop noticeable...

Buying a tree from a nursery is an investment that should provide beauty, shade, and environmental benefits for years to come. Unfortunately, many nursery-grown trees have hidden problems that are not visible at first glance...

Aphids are insects that feed on your tree by sucking nutrients from its leaves. They typically appear in early to mid-spring and may return in waves throughout the growing season until fall. Aphids can cause a variety of problems, so let's discuss four ways to treat them—three of which you can try yourself!

Every year our arborists are called withconcerns that sycamore trees are losing their leaves and “dying.” The issue is a foliar fungal disease affecting sycamores, london planes, maples, dogwoods, and more. Is this diesase a big concern, or no big deal? Let’s take a closer look...

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is a ubiquitous native plant across Ohio, thriving in every county from the urban fringes of Columbus to the rural hills of Hocking County. As a member of the cashew family, it grows as a low ground cover, upright shrub, or high climbing woody vine that uses hairy aerial roots to scale trees and fences.

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that is becoming a growing concern in Central Ohio. First discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, the pest has continued spreading into nearby states and threatens agriculture, forests, gardens, and neighborhoods throughout Ohio.

Growing up, ash trees dominated the woods surrounding my family’s property. They were among my favorite trees to climb, and the time I spent beneath their canopy helped inspire my passion for arboriculture. Over the years, however, watching those same trees decline because of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) transformed the issue from a distant ecological concern into something deeply personal.

The tiny nymphs that overwintered on some of our landscape trees are actively sucking up delicious phloem with their little straws and releasing their sticky waste.