Hello all, I have about 20 white pine trees planted last year. I've been told I have pine tip borers. The tips at the top are turning brown, plus I can see holes in the trunk near the top of the tree. Is this something I can take care of myself by spraying? If so, what should I use to get rid of them? How often should I spray? Thank you. Zone 5+ rhode island
Jack:
Your white pines are infested with White pine weevil - a beetle that lays eggs on the terminal branch. The eggs hatch and the larvae bore into the wood of the terminal branch in spring. Symptoms you see express in the summer when the damage is done.
Depending on state law the way to go about this is to treat with a repellent insecticide in early spring. Things like Talstar, Lindane, permethrin, etc. have been used for this in the past.
best to prune out the dead terminal, and trim the remaining live laterals to establish a new leader.
Call a consulting arborist for further details or email off list.
Good luck!
A local nursery said they use a systemic such as Merit. They sprinkle around their white pines. Then these white pine borers (of which there are a bunch) die as they attempt to eat the wood.
-al sung Rapid Realm Technology, Inc. Hopkinton, MA
It is too late to treat the infestation. The best procedure is a prophylactic treatment to prevent the infestation and removing and destroying infested material such as the previous poster mentioned:
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