Ball Moss and Mistletoe Removal
Ball moss and mistletoe removal is sometimes essential to the aesthetics of your landscape. While ball moss is not harmful to your tree population, mistletoe is, and many homeowners would rather have both removed to preserve the character and health of their trees.
Mistletoe is parasitic. It robs your tree of water and nutrients, causing decline in your tree. Rarely does mistletoe cause death, it can certainly expedite tree decline if the tree is in stress due to other factors. We highly recommend manual removal of mistletoe to maintain the health and beauty of one of your homes most valuable assets: your trees.
When a branch that is infested with mistletoe is properly removed, that mistletoe pod is gone. Mistletoe that is growing on large limbs and on the trunk can only be scraped off and will most likely return at some time. This is called managing. Keeping the number of pods limited, the less energy will be sapped from the tree.
Ball moss is not hazardous to the health of your trees because, though it does grow on tree limbs, it’s not actually a parasite. It does not plant roots into your tree and feed on its nutrients, instead it feeds on nutrients hydroponically. It’s actually related to pineapples and ornamental bromeliads. Nonetheless, many homeowners would rather have the ball moss removed so that all you see is the tree.
The ISA (International Society of Arboriculture: www.isa-arbor.com) Certified Arborists at Personal Touch Tree Service are highly knowledgeable in proven techniques for both ball moss and mistletoe removal. Because it is not parasitic, ball moss only needs to be removed once. However, more may grow back if the conditions are suitable (low air-flow, high humidity, etc.). Mistletoe will need to be cut out of the tree, which requires a skilled arborist so that the cut is correct and will not set up conditions for pest and disease infestation. The tree will need to be checked and future new growth will need to be removed, as mistletoe can leave behind pesky seeds for new growth.
For all of your ball moss and mistletoe removal needs, call the professionals at Personal Touch Tree Service at 214-328-7213. Family owned and operated for over 20 years, we have the knowledge and skill to help your trees be healthy and beautiful for generations to come!
