Where Utah first found the velvet longhorned beetle

Tree Service in South Salt Lake, UT

Flat, compact lots, many rentals, and fruit trees that deserve a closer look.

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Small Lots, Old Fruit Trees, and a Pest Worth Knowing

Tree Service in South Salt Lake means working on tight, flat lots in one of the valley's most compact cities. South Salt Lake covers just under 7 square miles between Salt Lake City and Millcreek, with the Jordan River on its western edge. It is also where Utah first detected the velvet longhorned beetle, in July 2010, and that pest is now widespread in Salt Lake and Utah counties.

The beetle and your fruit trees

Utah State University Extension describes velvet longhorned beetle larvae as tunneling under bark, where they disrupt the flow of water and nutrients through the tree. Sweet cherry and peach are among the hosts. Older backyard fruit trees are common in South Salt Lake, and many of them are stressed already. Signs that are worth a closer look:

Sawdust-like frass at the base of the trunk or in bark cracks
Branches dying back from the tips for no obvious reason
Patches of loose or split bark

Not every dying cherry tree has beetles, but a tree that is badly infested is usually a removal, and the wood should not be moved around as firewood.

A city of renters and landlords

Census figures put South Salt Lake's owner-occupied rate at about 38 percent, one of the lowest in the valley, with an average of about 2.3 people per household. A lot of our calls here come from property owners and managers. We can meet a tenant on site, give a written scope for the owner to approve, and send photos of the finished job.

Working in tight spaces

On compact lots there is rarely room to drop a tree whole. Most removals here are done in sections with ropes, and we plan where the chipper sits so the street or alley stays open. Overhead service drops are common across backyards. If a limb is near one, the utility handles that part first; Rocky Mountain Power offers a free temporary disconnect for work near a service line.

Creeks and parks

Three tributaries of Mill Creek come together in Fitts Park, and the creek once marked the town's southern edge. Trees along those channels and along the Jordan are mostly willows, cottonwoods and box elders, which grow fast and drop limbs. If yours overhang a fence line toward a trail or a neighbor, we can reduce the weight without removing the tree.

Growth and change

South Salt Lake started as a town in 1938, became a city in 1950, and nearly doubled in area and population through annexations in the 1990s. Its 2020 population was 26,777. Newer mixed-use projects bring new plantings; older blocks bring the big trees we spend most of our time on.

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South Salt Lake Facts

First Utah velvet longhorned beetle. USU Extension reports the velvet longhorned beetle was first found in Utah in South Salt Lake in July 2010 and is now widespread in Salt Lake and Utah counties. Larvae tunnel under bark of hosts such as sweet cherry and peach.
Mostly renter-occupied. Census QuickFacts reports a 38.2% owner-occupied rate, a $410,200 median home value and about 2.3 persons per household in South Salt Lake for 2020-2024.
Compact and flat. The city covers about 6.94 square miles, is mostly flat, has the Jordan River as its western border, and three tributaries of Mill Creek converge in Fitts Park.

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South Salt Lake Questions

My cherry tree is dying from the top down. Could it be the velvet longhorned beetle?

It could be. The beetle was first found in Utah here and attacks trees like sweet cherry and peach. Look for frass at the trunk base and split bark. Drought and root problems cause similar dieback, so it is worth having someone look before you decide.

I own a rental. Can you work with my tenant on scheduling?

Yes. We can coordinate access with the tenant, send you a written estimate to approve, and share photos when the work is finished.

Can you remove a tree when there is no room to drop it?

Yes. On tight lots we take trees down in sections and lower each piece on a rope, then chip and haul it. That is how most removals in South Salt Lake are done.

Should I keep the firewood from a beetle-infested tree?

It is better not to. Wood from infested trees can carry live larvae, and moving it around spreads the pest to new trees. We chip and haul the wood from a removal, so it leaves the property as chips rather than logs.

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