CountyYork County
RegionSouthern Maine
EAB quarantineEntire county
Hemlock woolly adelgidEstablished
Tree Medics protects trees for homeowners, businesses and municipalities in York and across York County. We diagnose tree problems and treat the insects and diseases threatening Southern Maine’s trees, from emerald ash borer to browntail moth.
What’s threatening trees in York
Hemlock woolly adelgidYork was one of only six Maine towns under hemlock woolly adelgid quarantine before the state expanded it.[1]
Emerald ash borerAll of York County is inside Maine’s emerald ash borer quarantine.[2] In 2026, ash dieback and mortality were reported throughout southern Maine.[3]
Hemlock woolly adelgidAs of December 2024, the Maine Forest Service lists it as established in York.[4]
Browntail mothFound in all 16 Maine counties, and its toxic hairs stay in the environment for up to three years.[5] Maine CDC says browntail moth populations have been steadily decreasing over the past couple of years, with higher populations in 2026 in parts of Androscoggin, Cumberland, Hancock and Oxford counties.[6] Even in a quieter year, a single infested oak or apple tree can make a yard miserable in spring.
Beech leaf diseaseNow found in all 16 Maine counties.[7]
About York’s trees
Local landscapeYork is a York County town with a 2020 Census population of 13,723 and a land area of about 54.7 square miles.[8]
Local landscapeMount Agamenticus contains Maine’s only known chestnut oak woodland, with chestnut oak, white pine and shagbark hickory in the canopy, along with hemlock forest, red oak–northern hardwoods and Atlantic white cedar swamp.[9]
Hemlock woolly adelgidThe Maine Natural Areas Program reports that hemlock woolly adelgid is causing increasing hemlock mortality at Mount Agamenticus and predicts major hemlock decline there over the next 20 years.[10]
Local landscapeThe Mt. Agamenticus focus area is described as the largest contiguous block of lightly developed land in southern York County, and its forests and wetlands help protect drinking water supplies for York and Kittery.[11]
Local landscapeIn 2019 the York Land Trust conserved 90 acres on Josiah Norton Road in York, within what it describes as the state’s only central hardwoods oak forest that includes chestnut oak.[12]
Hemlock woolly adelgidBy July 2009 the Maine Forest Service had found hemlock woolly adelgid in York, one of seven southern Maine towns with known infestations at the time.[13]
Tree care services in York
Emerald Ash Borer
Trunk injections that protect ash trees from emerald ash borer.
Emerald Ash Borer in York
Tree Health Assessments
Find out what’s wrong with a tree and what to do about it.
About tree health assessmentsBrowntail moth season starts in your trees right now.
From October to March, young browntail moth caterpillars overwinter in silk webs at the tips of branches. The Maine Forest Service recommends clipping and destroying webs within reach between mid-December and early April.[14] Browntail moth help in York.
A year of tree care in York
- WinterClip browntail moth webs, assess trees while branches are bare, and plan spring treatments.
- SpringTrunk injections for ash trees after leaf-out, and browntail moth treatment before caterpillars feed.
- SummerWatch for thinning crowns on ash and early leaf drop. Check beech leaves for dark bands between the veins.
- FallLook for white woolly masses on hemlock twigs, and spot new browntail webs once leaves drop.
Nearby towns we serve
Sources
- Portland Press Herald: State proposes expanding hemlock woolly adelgid quarantine
- Maine Forest Service: EAB found in seven more Maine towns, with York and Cumberland counties under quarantine (2020)
- Maine Forest Service: Forest & shade tree conditions, August 2026
- Maine Forest Service: Hemlock woolly adelgid overview and distribution
- Maine CDC & Maine Forest Service: Browntail moth hairs pose risk during spring outdoor activities
- Maine CDC Health Advisory: Browntail moth (May 2026)
- Maine Forest Service: Forest & shade tree conditions, September 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau: QuickFacts, York town, York County, Maine (2020 Census)
- Maine Natural Areas Program: Mount Agamenticus Conservation Area
- Maine Natural Areas Program: Mount Agamenticus Conservation Area
- Maine Natural Areas Program: Mt. Agamenticus Focus Area of Statewide Ecological Significance
- York Land Trust: 90 Acres Conserved Near Mt. Agamenticus (2019)
- Bangor Daily News: Maine hemlocks to be surveyed for adelgids (2009)
- Maine Forest Service: Browntail moth management overview