Beetles in pine trees

[redduck]

Just found pine beetles in a tree in my yard. Anyone know how to spray to kill these suckers or what chemicals to use. Don't want to lose tree but may be too late. any advise?

thanks

[Hambone]

Others may have a different opinion, but in my experience, you have just lost a tree. I have been through this many times.

[Denduke]

The Southern pine beetles are bad! They'll go in the bottom and out the top. You can hear'em gnawing. The black turpentine beetle will drill holes and sap will run out and sometimes kill'em and not necessarily be terminal to the tree. I've tried to burn around the base of mine every spring but don't know if it really helped. Had the turpentine beetles in some for years never hurt'em. If the Southern pine beeetles show up they're dead! Tree stress/ drought makes'em vulnerable. $.02 Ain't a forrester, but I'll take a look...
Had the names bassakwards...

[waterfowlwidowmaker]

Cut it down now.....

[khound22]

cut it down, when they get through w that one they will move to the nxt one. I am a forester and to my knowledge there is no other way to combat them.

[cockandlock25]

Like they said, cut it down. The beetles produce a chemical that attracts others to the location. Burn the infected tree(s) after cutting them to kill any beetles and larvae still present in it. Like turfgrass, keeping the trees as healthy as possible and reducing any stresses and injuries is the best way to combat insect damage. Good luck.

[eSJay]

STIHL is what I recommend.

[quackheadbp]

My father has a tree company that sprays and fertilizes trees, and he has the contract for Ellisville state school and sprays a few resident homes while he is there. 662 289 6637 Glenns Tree and lawn.

He would prob spray it with Govern or some other typr of chemical similiar( im not up to speed these days) and he can spray it up to 75 ft up the tree.

And yes they are hard to get rid of but he usually gets rid of them and your looking at like 15 to 25 bucks a tree if hes already down there. ( dont quote me on price) but close.

Ask for Glenn

[timberjack]

In my experience if it is SPB then the tree is already dead, just doesnt know it yet. Turpentine beetles are another thing altogether, might make it and might not. Are there globs of resin that look like popcorn on the trunk of the tree, or small holes with dust at ground level? Post pics if you can. Too early for active bugs, usually dont see that til mid summer.

[Plainsman04]

It's a little early for SPB. SPB's will usually be in the upper part of the tree. Black turpentine beetles will usually be on the lower 10-20 ft. Ips beetles will be in the upper part of the tree. Ips beetles hit groups of trees or random trees so there doesn't look like much of a pattern, just dead trees here and there. Black turpentine don't usually kill the tree unless there is another stress going on. Like timberjack said, it's a little early for SPB. You're probably seeing black turpentine if you're seeing damage at eye level or just above. Pics and further description of where and what would help. If you've actually found the beetles themselves then they're probably black turpentine. SPB's are really tiny.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/tre ... etle03.htm
Info on black turpentines via a quick google search: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/tre ... beetle.htm

SPB's don't fly very well so if you cut it down they're not as likely to fly up into surrounding trees. They're more of a glider. However, if that is what's in your trees then I'd burn them after you cut them down, if possible. Of course, I had forest health a couple years ago now so I might not be remembering all of this just right. By the way, the beetles don't actually kill the tree. They just aid & abet.