Yuuuuuppppp, that’s me!
Now, you may be wondering what I’m doing working on the Sunday after the 4th of July. Well, let me tell you how a complete obsession with doing real-life science led to my plan to make sure this Holly Scale infestation saw its last fireworks show.
Nobody LOVES pesticides, but we all want our trees to be beautiful and healthy. That balance can be hard to strike. It is often swayed too heavily towards abundant pesticide use by companies with a lack of knowledge or financial incentive to over-apply (or both!) Professional arborists know the pest and plant thoroughly and can treat the plant as strategically as possible when the pest is at its most vulnerable. When applying our scientific knowledge, arborists can even choose a smaller amount of pesticide to accomplish the job. We can take that one step further and choose not to treat at all and work with our clients to make small environmental and cultural improvements around the plant to help improve the tree or shrub’s immune system.
This brings me to the picture above, where I found myself doing a quick treatment on the Sunday of a holiday weekend because we determined that this was the most surgical approach and timing to control this nasty scale infestation when balancing all of the factors (including the upcoming weather!).
At Port City Tree Care, we recognize that pesticides are an important tool in our tool belt, but not always the right tool for the job without extremely specific timing. We will always do right by you, your trees, and the greater environment. Please reach for the most professional and candid arboricultural advice on the Maine and New Hampshire Seacoast.