What Kills Apple Trees

Disease

• According to the North Dakota State University, fireblight is one of the most common apple tree diseases. Fireblight is a bacterium that attacks apple blossoms, branches and leaves, causing them to look burnt or scorched. If left alone, the affected areas will turn black and die.

Adverse Weather

• Heavy winds can uproot apple trees and kill them, while harsh weather conditions, such as extreme cold or frost, can damage an entire apple crop. Frost is especially threatening if temperatures dip below freezing after blossoms have begun to bloom.

Wood-boring Insects

• Wood-boring insects, such as horned beetles, weevils and wood-boring caterpillars, can wreak the most havoc on an apple tree by attacking the trunk and boring through the bark. According to the Texas A&M University, such activity often goes unnoticed until the tree starts to die.

Fruit Pests

• According to the Colorado State University Extension, spider mites and aphids attack the apples themselves for food, but the effects of their activity can harm apple tree branches and large sections of the tree itself, which can lead to tree death.