Arborist Consultation in Erie, PA

Pests & disease to watch

• Emerald ash borer Has swept through Erie County; untreated ash is dead or dying and hazardous
• Spotted lanternfly Erie County is in the Pennsylvania quarantine; heavy feeding stresses maples, walnut and tree-of-heaven
• Beech leaf disease First found in the Lake Erie region and now widespread in Erie County woodlots; kills beech within several years
• Hemlock woolly adelgid Present in northwestern Pennsylvania; declining hemlocks in ravines and hedges
• Oak wilt Confirmed in Pennsylvania and spreading; avoid pruning or wounding oaks from April through July

Trees we see most in Erie

• Callery (Bradford) pear Widely planted, splits at the crotch after 15-20 years; Pennsylvania banned its sale in 2024
• Northern red oak Large mature oaks shade many lots; oak wilt makes pruning timing matter
• Colorado blue spruce Common in yards but failing from Rhizosphaera needle cast and cytospora canker
• Eastern cottonwood Huge and brittle along creeks and the lakeshore; drops large limbs in summer storms
• White ash Mostly dead from emerald ash borer; standing dead ash snap unpredictably and need prompt removal
• Sugar maple Classic street and lawn tree; road-salt and compaction decline on tree lawns

Weather & timing

• Lake-effect snow Heavy, wet early-season snow (sometimes before leaf drop) and 100-plus-inch winters load and break limbs
• Ice storms Freezing rain off the lake coats brittle maples, pears and ash
• Severe thunderstorms and derechos Summer wind events, including the September 2026 storm that prompted a City state of emergency, uproot trees in saturated clay soils
• Freeze-thaw and heavy clay soils Root heave and waterlogged ground reduce anchorage for large trees

Best time: The dormant season (late November through March) is best for removals and pruning in Erie: no leaves, frozen ground protects lawns, and it avoids the April-July oak wilt window, though lake-effect snow can delay crane access on some days.