Customers have a lot of questions about ball moss and how to handle it. The first thing to know is that ball moss is not a parasite (it is an epiphyte) and doesn’t live off of your trees. It uses sunlight, and draws moisture from the air in order to live and thrive. Epiphytes are often referred to as air plants, and this ability to pull moisture from the air is why ball moss can even be seen growing on fences in some cases.
Customers sometimes think that ball moss is like mistletoe, but this is not the case. Mistletoe is a parasite, and actually lives off of the tree it attaches to. However, we do recommend removing both ball moss and mistletoe during tree trimming. Mistletoe can kill a tree if left or at the very least increase without being trimmed away.
Ball moss is unsightly, and in some (rare) cases can even dominate a tree to the point of producing enough shade to harm leaf production by the tree. This is the reason we recommend trimming out ball moss on every tree pruning.
If you would like an estimate on tree trimming and pruning or removal of ball moss in Austin, Tx or the surrounding area, give us a call at Austin Tree Surgeons.