Winter Trees

A typical tree is half water. In freezing temperatures, this inner water freezes, and the trees lose their leaves. Trees cannot migrate south for the winter, or generate heat like a mammal; so how do some trees stay green all year? How do they survive? The answer is physiological changes in their foliage, roots, stems, branches, bark, and more in early seasons, and cellular changes once the cold weather hits.

For the most part, in order for trees to not die in the winter, its living cells must not freeze. The dead cells within a tree trunk do freeze, and surround the very few living cells. As for the roots, the snow preserves the ground, and prevents the root system from freezing. This is basically what allows the tree to regrow leaves, and come “back to life” after the cold is gone.

A tree must not become dehydrated, otherwise, it will not survive the winter. In freezing temperatures, the roots cannot draw moisture from the soil, in order to feed the leaves and stems. This is why trees lose their foliage in winter. Pine trees, and trees like them, retain their foliage because pine needles are resistant to drying out. Other trees lose their leaves because of drying out.

The Emerald Ash Borer is a green-backed wood-boring beetle that attacks Ash Trees in the Northern regions of the United States. It was first discovered in Michigan in 2002 and has quickly made a mark in the arborist industry in neighboring states like Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and more. It was thought to be inadvertently imported from Asia ten to fifteen years ago. They are little green beetles that primarily feed on the foliage of Ash trees. But the adult Emerald Ash Borers are not necessarily the threat because their foliage eating has little damaging effect on Ash trees. It is the larvae that causes problems and deterioration.

Emerald Ash Borers

Emerald Ash Borer larvae looks like a small maggot or white worm; while adult beetles are about the size of a raisin, and have metallic green backs. Adults lay eggs inside the bark, and when their larvae is born, they eat their way to the surface until full-grown. Once adults, they emerge from the bark, leaving behind D-shaped exit holes in the wood.

The Emerald Ash Borer larvae is highly damaging to Ash trees, killing thousands of them each year. In fact, since their discovery, these wood-boring beetles have managed to destroy tens of millions of Ash trees all over the northern and north-eastern regions of the country. Affected states include Kentucky, Wisconsin, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, and even parts of Canada.

The destructive effects of the Emerald Ash Borer has cost farmers, arborists, homeowners, and municipalities millions of dollars in damages and losses. The USDA and other caused organizations have been obligated to enforce fines and quarantines on farms and nurseries that contain infected trees. These regulations and restrictions prevented pest-ridden hardwood and logs from being transported out of infected areas.

Tree Service Fishers Indiana

Tree Service Coupon Fishers Indiana 317-537-9770

Call Tree Service Fishers Indiana at 317-537-9770 for professional assistance with Emerald Ash Borers and pest control. We are highly trained and qualified arborists with decades of experience in the tree service industry. Our dedicated team of tree contractors offer a wide selection of tree services; from tree removal to stump grinding, lot clearing, storm damage cleanup, and more. Call 317-537-9770 to speak with a professional about tree diseases and Ash tree removal in Fishers, IN and its surrounding counties.

Tree Service Fishers, Indiana

Monthly Archives: September 2014

Why Do Trees Survive the Winter?

Winter Trees

Tree Service Fishers Indiana

Emerald Ash Borer Facts

Emerald Ash Borers

Tree Service Fishers Indiana