Crab Apple Infestation?

[Marshy]

I have two Flowering Crab Apple trees in my front yard and the one looks like its been attacked by some bugs. I believe it's been there last year as well. The tree seemed healthy last year as far as I can tell but wanted to get your opinion on the damage. I'd rather try to save the tree(s) if its sonething that needs treatment ratger then wait and replace them when they die. Maybe it's too late?

As you can see the bark is dealing back and in some areas its fallen off.

 

[Jed1124]

Yellow Belly Sap Sucker damage. I've heard of folks using a cayenne mixed with water spray solution to repel them but I can't speak to how effective it is. A plastic owl hung in the tree might ward them off too.

 

[Marine5068]

No offense, but that tree is really ugly.
In shape I mean. Looks like some very unskilled tree pruning going on there. That could have weakened the resolve of that tree. But spray it with hot pepper sauce and see if they leave it alone. You could also put up a suet feeder to attract other peckers that may keep the sapsucker away.

 

[Marshy]

LOL Im not offended because I didn't prune it, the previous home owner did. Some how it managed to grow into a reasonable looking tree from a distance.

 

[Marshy]

@ATH, do you have any recommendations for keeping the sap suckers off my trees? Should the trees have any special care? What can you tell me about he health of the tree, is it declining? Thanks in advance.

 

[ATH]

Hard to say a lot about tree health from just from those pictures....some of the smaller twigs and one zoomed way out could help.

That much lichen on the tree indicates the canopy is probably thinning giving the lichen more sunlight. The bark scaling off like that probably indicates the tree is pretty slow which isn't a great sign.

It looks like a pretty old tree? Crab apple don't live forever...

I'd try the suggestions above to keep the sapsucker away. They don't kill a tree, but they certainly helping that out!

Probably do a soil test to see if fertilization would help.

Does it have any leaf scab or fire blight? Leaf scab is not a huge problem, but certainly can be a contributing factor to decline. Fire blight could wipe a tree out...

 

[Marshy]

Hard to say a lot about tree health from just from those pictures....some of the smaller twigs and one zoomed way out could help.

That much lichen on the tree indicates the canopy is probably thinning giving the lichen more sunlight. The bark scaling off like that probably indicates the tree is pretty slow which isn't a great sign.

It looks like a pretty old tree? Crab apple don't live forever...

I'd try the suggestions above to keep the sapsucker away. They don't kill a tree, but they certainly helping that out!

Probably do a soil test to see if fertilization would help.

Does it have any leaf scab or fire blight? Leaf scab is not a huge problem, but certainly can be a contributing factor to decline. Fire blight could wipe a tree out...

I will search on how to tell if it does and report back. Thanks.