Pine Bark Beetle

Symptoms by part

Causes

• Trees already stressed by drought or lack of water
• Physical damage to the trunk from storms or construction
• Overcrowded planting conditions that limit airflow and resources
• Presence of freshly cut or fallen pine wood nearby which attracts adults

Could be confused with

• Woodpecker damage · Woodpeckers create larger, irregular holes as they hunt for larvae, whereas beetle holes are small, uniform, and perfectly round.
• Natural resin weeping · Natural resin flow is usually associated with a wound or branch break, while beetle pitch tubes are specifically located around small entry holes.

Treatment

1. Remove and destroy any infested branches or trees to prevent the beetles from moving to healthy neighbors.
2. Chip or burn infested wood immediately to kill larvae living beneath the bark.
3. Water trees deeply during dry spells to help them maintain the resin pressure needed to push out invading beetles.

Without chemicals

• Prune out and dispose of infested branches as soon as they are identified.
• Remove dead or dying pine trees from the landscape to eliminate breeding sites.
• Maintain proper spacing between trees to reduce competition for water and nutrients.

Chemical options

• Lambda-cyhalothrin, apply as a trunk spray to the bark surface to deter adult beetles from boring, follow the label.

Preventing it

• Keep trees healthy with consistent watering during dry periods.
• Avoid wounding the trunk with lawn equipment or tools.
• Promptly remove any fallen pine logs or storm damaged wood from the property.
• Thin out overcrowded stands to improve tree vigor.

When to act

Act as soon as you see pitch tubes or sawdust on the trunk. If a tree shows widespread needle browning or significant bark loss, it is likely too late to save and should be removed by a tree surgeon.

Questions people ask

Can I save a tree once it has beetle holes?

If the infestation is light and the tree is otherwise healthy, you may be able to save it by improving its vigor, but heavy infestations are usually fatal.

Do these beetles attack healthy trees?

They prefer stressed or weakened trees, but during large outbreaks, they can overwhelm and kill even healthy trees.

How far do these beetles travel?

Adult beetles can fly significant distances to find new host trees, which is why removing infested wood quickly is so important.