It's Almost Time For The Blossoms To Appear: How To Keep Bugs Away From Your Fruit Trees

Spring is almost here, which means your fruit trees will start coming to life again. As soon as the first blossoms appear, you'll need to be prepared to begin spring tree care. One of the things you'll need to be on the look-out for is bug problems. You might not realize this, but as soon as the blossoms start to appear, so will the bugs. Unfortunately, bugs can destroy your trees and your fruit production. To help you keep bugs away this year, here are four simple tips you should follow.

Clean Your Blades

When spring arrives, you'll need to start pruning your tree. You'll want to get rid of the small branches and twigs that aren't helpful. If you simply grab your pruning shears and start cutting, you could end up making your tree susceptible to insects and infection without even realizing it. That's because there could be bugs and diseases on the blades themselves. Before you spread the problem around, make sure you clean your blades before each use. Simply pour rubbing alcohol into a container, and dip your blades into the solution before each use. Your blades will stay clean, and your trees will remain healthy.

Go Easy on the Mulch

If you're going to put fresh mulch around your fruit trees, you'll want to go easy on it. Mulch is a great way to hold in the moisture, but it's also a great way to encourage bug activity. This is particularly true if the mulch is too close to the trunk of the trees. That's because the warmth and moisture from the mulch provides a comfortable environment for bugs. To protect your trees, go ahead and lay the mulch, but keep it several inches away from the trunk. To make sure the mulch stays away from the trunk, you can place a decorative ring around the base of your fruit trees.

Remove Infested Trees

If you discover insect activity in one of your fruit trees, and the insects have caused irreparable damage, you'll need to remove the tree. Leaving the infested tree will put the rest of your trees in danger. Removing the infested tree will help preserve the rest of your trees. Be sure to discard the wood as quickly as possible. You don't want the insects to have enough time to transfer from one tree the next.

Hire a Tree Specialist

When you have fruit trees, you want to make sure they remain healthy. The best way to do that is to provide them with professional care. Having a tree service professional come out to your house at least once a year will ensure that your fruit trees remain happy and healthy all year long.


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