Pine bark beetles are a type of burrowing insect that can severely damage your pine trees. Since these burrowing beetles are most likely to attack unhealthy trees, the most effective methods for controlling them are preventive measures to discourage the spread of these insects and improve the natural defenses of your trees. Once bark beetles have infested a tree they are extremely difficult to remove and may prove fatal to the tree.
Water your pine trees regularly during periods of dry weather or whenever the tree begins to show signs of water stress. Apply water during the evening over the outer root zone of your pine tree. Water the roots of your pine tree heavily one to two times a month during dry periods. Irrigate deeply so that the water penetrates 12 inches into the soil.
Monitor your pine trees for yellowed leaves and slow or stunted growth and fertilize them when necessary. Fertilize your pine trees using 1 pound of balanced fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in a ratio of 10-10-10 for every 100 square feet of root zone.
Keep the ground around your pine trees free of cut wood and plant debris to avoid creating a habitat favorable to wood burrowing beetles.
Check your trees for signs of pine bark beetle infestation on a weekly basis. Branches that are infested with beetles are often damaged with wilted or yellowing leaves. Examine the limbs and trunk of the tree for small holes oozing sap. Small chunks of pulped bark on the ground or in the branches is often a sign of bark beetle infestation.
Examine trees with bark beetle damage to determine the extent of the infestation. If there are no signs of damage in the main trunk of the tree, you can prune and remove the infested branches. Make your pruning cuts at the base of each branch and stem with damage. Separate the branches from your trees and completely cover them with plastic to prevent the beetles from spreading until you can dispose of the branches.
Things You Will Need
- Water hose
- Pruning shears
- Plastic sheet
- Do not prune infested pine branches between February and October. If your pine bark beetle infestation is limited to a few trees, consider contacting a pest control company to spray the trunk and major branches of your undamaged trees with a pesticide containing carbaryl.
- The bark of the tree protects beetles already infesting the tree from pesticides. Pesticides are only useful for killing pine bark beetles during the early spring when the beetles hatch from eggs laid in the ground around your pine trees. During any other portion of the beetle's life cycle pesticides can only protect undamaged trees.
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