Tree Care Glossary & Encyclopedia

A small, aphid-like insect that feeds on the sap of conifers, often producing white woolly wax coverings on branches or needles.

Small beetles that bore through tree bark to lay eggs in the inner bark, creating characteristic gallery patterns and often introducing fungal pathogens.

The use of living organisms such as predators, parasites, or pathogens to suppress pest populations to acceptable levels.

An insect whose larval stage feeds by tunneling into the wood, bark, or cambium of trees, causing internal damage that can weaken or kill the host.

An insect or pathogen that destroys or consumes the leaves of a tree, reducing its ability to photosynthesize and produce energy.

An abnormal swelling or growth on a plant caused by insects, mites, fungi, or bacteria that manipulate plant tissue development.

A science-based decision-making process that combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools to manage pests with minimal environmental risk.

The immature, often worm-like feeding stage of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis, typically the stage that causes the most damage to trees.

A monitoring device baited with synthetic insect pheromones to attract and capture specific pest species for population assessment.

A group of small sap-feeding insects that attach to bark, leaves, or fruit and often appear as immobile bumps or waxy coatings on plant surfaces.