Insect Pests Attacking Florida Trees: From Borers to Scale
Insects get blamed for a lot of tree damage, and sometimes the real problem is the disease or drought stress that let them in. After Common Tree Diseases in Florida: Spot the Signs Early, here are the pests we run into on trees and palms from Clearwater to St. Pete Beach.
The Usual Suspects: Most Common Tree Pests in Florida
Ambrosia Beetles: Tiny boring insects that carry laurel wilt fungus:
Attack stressed or wounded trees (redbay, sassafras, swampbay)
Leave small holes with sawdust tubes ("toothpicks") sticking out
The beetles themselves don't kill trees, the fungus they carry does
Prevention: keep trees healthy, avoid wounding, remove infected trees promptly
Scale Insects: Small, immobile pests that suck sap from branches and leaves:
Appear as brown, white, or gray bumps on stems and leaf undersides
Cause yellowing leaves, stunted growth, and branch dieback
Heavy infestations produce sticky "honeydew" that attracts sooty mold
Treatment: horticultural oils, systemic insecticides (best applied by pros)
Borers (Various Species): Larvae that tunnel into wood:
Leave D-shaped or round exit holes in bark
Cause branch dieback, oozing sap, and canopy thinning
Often attack stressed trees (drought, construction damage, disease)
Prevention: maintain tree health; treatment requires professional injection
Aphids: Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth:
Suck sap, causing leaves to curl and yellow
Produce honeydew that leads to sooty mold
Usually cosmetic, but heavy infestations weaken young trees
Often controlled by natural predators (ladybugs, lacewings)
Palm Pests: Florida's palms face unique threats:
Palmetto Weevil: Large beetles that lay eggs in palm crowns; larvae kill the palm
Royal Palm Bug: Sucks sap from new fronds, causing brown streaks
Ganoderma: Fungal disease (covered last week) that affects many palms
How Pests Find Their Way In
Most of the pests above go after trees that are already in trouble. Healthy trees defend themselves with sap, thick bark and vigorous growth, so the insects tend to show up where something has already gone wrong. In our yards around Pinellas Park, Largo and Oldsmar, the same openings come up again and again:
Fresh wounds: Torn limbs after a summer storm, a bark scrape from a mower or a bad cut leave soft wood exposed.
Poor pruning cuts: Flush cuts and stubs heal slowly and give borers a place to start. A clean cut just outside the branch collar closes much faster.
Root disturbance: Trenching, grading and heavy equipment parked over the roots weaken a tree for years.
Drought stress: A tree that goes dry for several weeks in spring, before the rainy season starts, is easier prey.
Sprinkler habits: Daily light watering keeps roots shallow, and wet bark invites other problems.
The takeaway is that the insect is often the second problem, not the first. If you only deal with the bugs, the tree keeps getting attacked. Fix the stress and the pressure drops.
Signs Your Tree Has a Pest Problem
Unusual leaf yellowing, curling, or drop
Sticky residue on leaves or surfaces below the tree
Visible insects on leaves, branches, or trunk
Exit holes in bark with sawdust or frass (insect waste)
Wilting or dieback of branches without obvious cause
Sooty mold (black, powdery coating) on leaves
What You Can Do Yourself
Monitor Regularly: Walk your property monthly and inspect leaves (top and bottom), branches, and trunks for unusual signs.
Maintain Tree Health: Healthy trees resist pests better. Water properly, mulch, avoid root damage, and prune correctly.
Remove Heavily Infested Branches: For small trees, you can prune out branches with heavy scale or borer damage. Dispose of pruned material away from other trees.
Encourage Beneficial Insects: Plant native flowering plants that attract ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps (natural pest predators).
A Closer Look at Palms
Palms get a section of their own because they behave differently from shade trees. A palm grows from a single growing point at the top, called the bud. If that bud is damaged, the palm cannot grow a replacement the way an oak can regrow a branch.
Watch the newest frond: The center spear should be upright and green. If it browns, bends over or pulls out easily, something is wrong at the bud and time matters.
Go easy on trimming: Taking off green fronds stresses a palm and can attract pests, so keep the cuts to brown, dead fronds and flower stalks.
Handle new palms carefully: A recently transplanted palm is a weak palm, and weak palms are what palmetto weevils look for.
Do not pile debris at the base: Rotting fronds and mulch against the trunk hold moisture and hide insects.
If a palm is already past saving, we can take it down and deal with the stump. For the diagnosis and any treatment, your county's UF/IFAS Extension office or a licensed applicator is the right place to start.
What That Means for Structure
Borer tunnels and heavy scale damage do not just look bad, they can change how a tree carries its weight. A limb riddled with galleries can still be green and leafed out and then drop in the first strong afternoon storm. That matters most for:
Large limbs hanging over a roof, pool cage, driveway or play area
Trunks with oozing, frass or round exit holes along one side
Trees with a thinning crown and a lean that has started to change
In those cases the safe move is to take weight off, trim back the questionable limb or remove the tree, rather than wait to see whether the insects move on.
What We Do and Do Not Do About Pests
We want to be straight about this. Anthony's Tree and Stump Service does not spray, inject or apply chemicals to trees. What we do is the physical work: cutting out dead and infested limbs, reducing weight on a damaged tree, removing a tree that is no longer safe, and grinding or removing the stump afterward. We also haul and chip the debris, and that matters, because infested wood left stacked beside healthy trees can pass the problem along.
If you are not sure which side of the line your tree is on, ask us to take a look, and we will tell you plainly what we see.
When to Call Anthony's Tree and Stump Service
Contact Anthony's Tree and Stump Service if you notice:
Large trees with significant pest damage
Borers in the trunk or major limbs
Palms showing signs of palmetto weevil (often fatal without immediate action)
Pest problems on protected or valuable trees
A tree you are not sure can be saved
If the damage is serious, we can trim out the affected limbs or take the tree down and grind the stump. Chemical treatment such as systemic insecticides or trunk injections is a job for a licensed applicator, and we are glad to tell you what we see so you know which way to go.
Coming Up Next
Next is When to Remove a Tree: Safety, Health, and Legal Considerations, and how to make one of the hardest calls a homeowner faces.
Talk to Anthony's Tree and Stump Service
If a tree on your property worries you, call us at (727) 254-0338 or request a free estimate. We serve homeowners and businesses across Pinellas and Hillsborough counties from our Oldsmar office.
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