Did you know that Groundhog Landscaping offers pest control services? No we don’t spray for ants or cockroaches – but our sister company, Groundhog Turf Care, is very much involved with Plant Health Care – which you could call “pest control services for trees and shrubs.”
Since 2014, Groundhog Turf Care has been the follow-up care plan for Groundhog Landscaping’s planting and lawn installation services. Their technicians are trained in identifying and treating common pests found on plants and in turf.
Sometimes plants may look okay, but the reality is that certain types of insects will weaken a tree slowly over several years until it ultimately dies. The changes are gradual and you wouldn’t normally notice unless you have a trained eye.
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For example, this Thornless Hawthorn tree has a rich, dark green leaf and seems to be reasonably healthy. However, when the arborist at Groundhog Turf Care looks at it, they see a different picture. There is very little new growth. There is die-back on several branches. Upon closer inspection, it’s obvious this tree is under attack by Oyster Shell Scale, and insect that attaches itself to the bark and is camouflaged so well that you can only see it from 6 inches away.
Fortunately, pests like Oyster Shell Scale and Spider Mites are very slow-moving and will not spread from house to house unless they are introduced to the property on a new tree or shrub. This is why we recommend this spray program to all of our clients who hire us to install trees and shrubs. It gives new plants a better chance of surviving by killing any pest that may be on it from the nursery. These pests are virtually eliminated with one or two years of Groundhog Turf Care’s Tree and Shrub Care program.
Other garden pests are more mobile – like Japanese Beetle, Tent Caterpillar and Aphids. Some insects like borers are highly mobile and attack specific trees, often killing them within a year or two. Some insects, like Japanese Beetle, feed on both trees and turf. These pests require annual management to keep them under control.
A landscape is a living ecosystem; this why we recommend Groundhog Turf Care’s Tree and Shrub Care program to everyone – not just our own clients. It’s like an insurance policy for your landscape!