While the Treasure Valley is sheltered from some national pests, our urban canopy faces distinct localized threats. Two of the most damaging are wood-boring insects and Cottony Maple Scale. Borers are opportunistic pests that target stressed or injured trees, particularly Birches and Ashes in Ada and Canyon counties. Adult beetles lay eggs in bark crevices. Upon hatching, the larvae burrow into the tree to feed on the cambium and phloem—the critical vascular tissues that transport water and nutrients. This internal feeding cuts off the tree’s lifeblood, leading to canopy dieback and, if left unchecked, tree mortality. Cottony Maple Scale (Pulvinaria innumerabilis) targets Maples and other ornamental shrubs. These sap-sucking insects appear as white, cotton-like egg sacs on branches. As they feed, they excrete a sticky substance called “honeydew,” which coats sidewalks and cars, and promotes the growth of black sooty mold. Because these pests reside under protective scales or deep within the wood, topical sprays are largely ineffective. Professional management relies on systemic soil drenches or trunk injections that are absorbed and distributed throughout the tree’s canopy.