Tree Care Companies Expand Services to Combat Bark Beetle Infestations

Tree care providers in Georgia and California are expanding specialized services to address pine mortality caused by drought stress and bark beetle infestations. In Georgia, AKA Tree Service is increasing its offerings in Alpharetta to help property owners distinguish between environmental stress and pest activity. This expansion follows a 2026 southern pine beetle outlook from the Georgia Forestry Commission predicting moderate activity in the Piedmont region, particularly west of metro Atlanta.

Simultaneously, Adney Tree Service Inc. is scaling removal operations in Scotts Valley and Felton, California, to combat native red turpentine and Ips bark beetles. The company is prioritizing September evaluations to identify hazardous trees before the University of California Integrated Pest Management pine pruning blackout ends in mid-October and before the arrival of high-risk fall offshore winds.

While the Georgia efforts focus on tailored strategies ranging from monitoring to removal, the California operations emphasize the urgent need to reduce fuel loads. Adney Tree Service warns that standing dead wood in the Santa Cruz Mountains creates significant fire and collapse risks, especially as the National Interagency Fire Center identifies fall offshore winds as a primary fire-weather wildcard.