Pests that live in or around your trees

Trees are a magnificent addition to our yards. They provide the perfect spot to rest under on a hot summer’s day and then also give us something good to look at. But have you ever wondered what kind of pests might love your trees as much as you do? 

The answer is many. In this post, we will cover the main ones to look out for because they might cause structural damage to your home. 

Rats and Squirrels 

Rodents of any type can cause havoc with the wiring and wooden structural elements of your home. They are great climbers and can squeeze into the smallest of spaces. If you are worried about things that go bump in the night in your attic, this could be your problem.

Reduce the potential risk by limiting access to your home. Make sure that any branches touching the house are trimmed back and take the time to get into the attic and stop up any holes that these critters could squeeze themselves into. 

And here we want to stress the part about them being able to squeeze through the smallest of spaces. That potentially includes fitting through vent covers like those on the air conditioner. 
If you have that kind of thing to allow more air into your attic, you might want to consider using chicken wire to close it off completely. 

Ants and Termites

Ants and termites love to chomp down on damaged tree branches. They are just as happy to eat their way through any wood in your house as well. It is safest to keep them away from your home by making it a less attractive target. 

That means clearing out dead wood that is near your house, and we are also referring to firewood here. You will also need to keep tree branches well away from the walls of your home, so it is a good idea to trim trees near the home regularly or consider having them removed. 

Ants and termites also gravitate towards houses when there is a ready water source there. Make sure that there or no leaky pipes and that there is no moisture seepage to minimize this potential issue. 

That is clearly not an exhaustive list – to write one of those would require a lot more time than we have today. The main takeaway here is to keep your trees and yard as neat as possible by removing any wood that has fallen and storing firewood away from the house. If you need an honest local tree service to help you out, give us a shout.
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It is also a good idea to check the trees on a regular basis to see if there are any signs of insect or rodent infestation in the wood itself. Ants and termites will eventually end up killing a tree that they have infested, so this is a good preventative measure when it comes to keeping the trees healthy as well.