Arborist Consultation in Belmont, MI

Pests & disease to watch

• Emerald ash borer Michigan was ground zero (2002); Kent County ash are almost all dead and standing dead ash are a removal hazard
• Oak wilt Confirmed in Kent County; spreads through root grafts and sap beetles, so oaks are pruned only when fully dormant
• Spruce decline (Rhizosphaera and Cytospora) Widespread on blue spruce across West Michigan; many are removed rather than treated
• Beech bark disease and beech leaf disease Beech bark disease is established and beech leaf disease is spreading through lower Michigan
• Hemlock woolly adelgid Quarantined in the West Michigan lakeshore counties next door to Kent; hemlocks should be inspected

Trees we see most in Belmont

• Black cherry and black walnut Common edge and woodlot trees; walnuts shade out lawns and cherries fail from black knot and rot
• American beech Native in the Rogue River woods; beech bark disease and the newer beech leaf disease are thinning them
• Colorado blue spruce Planted on nearly every lot since the 1970s; needlecast and canker 'spruce decline' now kills them from the bottom up
• Eastern white pine Tall native and windbreak conifer; top-outs and whole-tree failures in straight-line winds
• White ash and green ash Once common in woodlots and street plantings; nearly all dead or dying from emerald ash borer
• Northern red oak Dominant oak on the sandy ridges north of Grand Rapids; the main victim of oak wilt in Kent County

Weather & timing

• Ice storms Freezing rain events (Dec 2013, Feb 2023) coat West Michigan trees and bring down maples and spruce
• Severe thunderstorms and straight-line winds Summer storms off Lake Michigan topple shallow-rooted pines and spruce; occasional tornadoes in Kent County
• Heavy lake-effect snow Wet, heavy snow loads evergreens and leafed-out trees in early and late season
• Spring flooding and drought The Rogue and Grand rivers flood in spring, while dry summers (2021, 2023) stress maples and spruce

Best time: Late fall through winter (November-March) is the best window for removals and pruning in Belmont, and oaks must only be cut then because Michigan DNR/MSU guidance says to avoid wounding oaks April 15-July 15 when oak wilt spreads.