Tree pests and tree diseases can attack and create havoc. It’s important to diagnose a pest or disease problem correctly before attempting any form of treatment. Although specific trees tend to have specific pests and diseases that assault them, many of these problems affect a variety of species. Effective treatment targets particular pests detected on the specific species affected.

Pest control should be performed in a way that ensures that the balance between predators and prey does not get out of sync. Beneficial predators keep a pest in check and must have a minimum level of that pest available in order to maintain its food supply. If the pest is completely eradicated, the predators disappear for lack of food. Often the pest will come back in much higher levels because their natural predators are no longer present.