Acer Rubrum Var. Drummondii Pests

Woodpecker holes run in straight lines.

Drummond red maple (Acer rubrum drummondii) is a tree that thrives in wet areas found in the Southeastern United States. Like other varieties of red maple, it’s known for its brilliant red fall foliage. Red maple trees are susceptible to many pests but, according to the U.S. Forest Service, they don’t usually kill healthy trees. Weak trees may succumb to insects.

Sapsuckers

Yellow bellied sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius) are woodpeckers that feed on bugs that live inside trees. People sometimes confuse the damage they cause with borer damage, but it’s easy to recognize woodpecker damage because this bird makes holes in lines that run vertically, horizontally or at an angle. Look for holes on the trunk, not where branches attach. Although the yellow bellied sapsucker is protected by federal laws, placing artificial snakes or owls nearby discourages it from feeding on your red maple tree.

Leafrollers

The maple leafroller (Caloptilia hemidactyla) is the larval stage of a moth that attacks Drummond red maple trees and other hardwoods. Its damage isn’t usually extensive, but severe infestations can cause browning of leaves and defoliation, killing weakened trees. Look for rolled leaves held together with silk or vertically hanging leaves Caterpillars rest inside the leaves, only coming out to feed. Control leafrollers by encouraging their natural enemies, which include parasitic wasps and flies, beetles and birds. Caterpillars can also be removed by hand-picking.

Leafhoppers

The potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae) is a major pest of red maple trees, including the Drummond variety. Attack symptoms include curled and stunted leaves, and leaves that turn brown, black or are mottled with light green, red and brown. Adult leafhoppers are wedge-shaped, green insects that grow to be about 1/8 inch long. Nymphs look similar, but are smaller and unable to fly. Red maple trees growing around your home probably won’t suffer much damage, but nursery trees may need synthetic pyrethroids applied, in order to control this pest.

Borers

Several boring insects attack Drummond red maple trees. One of the more important pests is the maple callus borer (Synanthedon acerni), which is a moth resembling a small wasp. The adult insects don’t damage trees, but the larvae, which are whitish caterpillars with brown heads, cause considerable damage. Damage includes dieback of the crown, wilting terminal shoots and off-color leaves. Look for cankers, calluses and cracked bark, along with sawdust-like feces known as frass. Maple callus borers can be controlled with insecticidal sprays containing pyrethroids.

Scales

The cottony maple scale and the maple leaf scale are two common scale pests of Drummond red maple trees. Scales are unusual insects that don’t have any recognizable body parts. Both the cottony maple scale (Pulvinaria innumerabilis) and the maple leaf scale (P. acericola) are soft scales with oval, brown bodies that remain attached to the tree where they feed. Cottony maple scales can be found on the bark and maple leaf scales can be found on the leaves. Control the young, crawler stage by spraying your red maple tree with malathion. Horticultural oils applied as a systemic insecticide are also effective controls.

References

• U.S.Forest Service; Red Maple; Russell S. Walters, et. at.
• Duke University: Drummond’s Red Maple
• Louisiana State University School of Renewable Natural Resources: Drummond Red Maple
• University of Illinois Extension HortAnswers: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Natural Resources Canada: Maple Leafroller
• Washington State University Integrated Pest Management: Common Insect & Mite - Leafroller

Resources

• University of Illinois Home, Yard & Garden Pest; Potato Leafhopper; Phil Nixon
• University of Kentucky College of Agriculture; Insect Borers of Trees & Shrubs; Michael Potter, et. al.
• Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; Maple
• University of Illinois Extension HortAnswers: Red Maple