Pine Bark Beetles: How To Detect and Get Rid Of The Infestation!

Are you concerned about Pine Bark Beetles in your trees?

That’s why it’s so important to have a tree specialist on your side. The team here at Dusty’s Tree Service can help you learn the dangers of the pine bark beetle and learn how to detect and prevent them. Our priority is to make sure all your trees and bushes are healthy.

When it comes to professional tree service, it’s important to know the leader in the Citrus and Marion County area. Here at Dusty’s Tree Service, we have years of experience in helping residential and commercial clients with all their affordable tree services.

What Are Pine Bark Beetles?

These bugs both attack and kill the pine trees that they take up residence in. They burrow under the bark of a tree and create a variety of tunnels under the bark. This is where they eventually mate and lay their eggs which will multiply the infestation, quickly killing the pine tree itself.

These beetles look for pine trees that are already stressed or weakened which make easy targets for their infestation. Things such as drought, construction stressing the trees nearby, flooding, and fire damage are just some of the examples of the weakened trees.

An Exception

One exception to the rule that beetles head for damaged trees is the Southern Pine Beetle. This one is often confused for the pine bark beetle in general. However, these beetles are highly dangerous. They are deadly to trees as they head for healthy trees that don’t show signs of weakening or death already. They have caused millions of dollars in damage through the years. It’s important that these two are not confused because of the devastating consequences that the southern pine beetle can have. It’s important that you have a tree specialist on your side to detect and help prevent this from happening in the first place.

Unknown Injuries

Often, residents or commercial owners don’t even recognize they have a tree that is injured. In some cases, you don’t know anything has happened until the infestation has been detected. That’s why it is important to always keep an eye on what’s happening. For example, when construction takes place, trees can be damaged due to landscaping. Moving land/dirt for installing concrete, or even changing the water drainage and flow on the property can stress a tree. You may not realize it but the roots can be damaged and open the door for the pine bark beetles to destroy the entire tree.

It’s imperative that when you notice a tree has been injured by lightning or other damage to have the tree removed and prevent an infestation.

Detection Of Pine Bark Beetles

There are a few things to look for when you’re concerned with a pine bark beetle infestation. For starters, the licensed and trained experts from our team will look for the changing of leaves. Trees that have an infestation have their leaves change from green to yellow and then finally to a reddish-brown color. We’ll ask you if you’ve noticed the change and if so, how long it’s been going on. Typically, this change happens within 2-4 weeks in warm weather.

Another factor that is seen in detection is the boring dust or what we call “pitch tubes”. You’ll also notice that there seem to be various globs of resin around the tree. The dust is where the beetles are boring into the trees and it may be seen around the under foliage, in cobwebs around the tree, or even on the surface of the bark itself.

Prevention

With the licensed and trained experts here at Dusty’s Tree Service, you can prevent this from taking over your yard. We provide inspections of all the trees on your property and provide you with the best way to keep your land looking healthy and vibrant. We can provide tree services such as pruning trees that are overgrown, tree stump removal, tree root removal, and helping to treat trees before an infestation takes place.

When it comes to finding the right service for your pine bark beetle concerns, you want to work with someone who knows the best measures to prevent and detect. The experts here can do just that. With over 30 years of roots in the area, we know the best measures for detection, prevention, and tree service.