Trees get weak from a lack of a drink.....just like us humans. Get weak and then one seems to contract sickness more often....as a tree will also. If you have orchards as we do...or if you are a simple homeowner with a tree (can be Pines to Birch too)....take a look at the trunk of your tree(s)....looking for little holes....or sap piling up......even sawdust. Look as often as every other month especially from May forward.
The immature or larval stages of insects, particularly beetles and moths......that feed on wood rather than leaves or plant juices are referred to as borers. All the woody parts of the tree from the buds and twigs to the trunk and roots are susceptible to borer attack. Most borers are attracted to trees that are weakened through drought, injury or disease.
Keep all trees growing vigorously. Healthy trees exude resin, which usually kills shothole borers before much damage can be done. If the tree is weakened, this resin buildup, or gumming process, does not develop.
In addition, promptly prune and burn dead or badly infested trees or weak and dead limbs. Piles of pruned limbs and branches left in or near the orchard may serve as a breeding place for the beetle. Infested wood should be destroyed before adults emerge. Wild fruit trees and other potential breeding sites should also be removed.
Painting tree trunks with whitewash paint may help repel the adult beetles, especially on young trees. Insecticide leaf sprays are usually not very effective.
No comments :
Post a Comment