RE: Bark beetle? in Pines

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Dear Pamela,

I'm afraid I don't remember the time of year that I saw the beetles. Probably autumn or spring. I think the only reason that I saw them was because we had done a lot of heavy pruning and left the branches around to eventually collect for burning, and suddenly the air was full of beetles flying around, attracted, I assume, by the smell of the sap.Equally suddenly, the beetles disappeared and the volcanos appeared.

The number of volcanos in itself is less important than whether the larvae get to circle the trunk, but of course the more larvae the greater the chance that this might happen.The really distressed pine that you mention might need to be written off but it would be worth trying to save the others. I don't remember the name of the insecticide, but any  reputable and potent one should do as long as you can inject it well into the hole, especially as we don't know whether what is inside is at the beetle or larva stage. My guess is that we were successful because the Tomicus was still at the beetle stage and therefore probably close to the entrance hole.

Good luck

Andrew Beith

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: p*@re-taste.com

To: m*@ucdavis.edu

Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 10:07 AM

Subject: RE: Bark beetle? in Pines

 

Dear Andrew

Thank you very much for your reply which was really helpful although I think perhaps we might not be successful for one of the pines because the needles look slightly brown without the lushness of the others. It was this that first brought it to our attention.  Where did you see the beetles and what time of the year?  I must say we haven't seen any of the beetles yet.   We don't appear have as many white blobs as you have had,  it seems that we have about 10 on each tree but we will inspect further.  For an insecticide Gill Pound suggested  Xylophene.  What  did you use? We don't have Processionaries here but I am always looking out for them.

Best wishes

Pamela

Costa Blanca

-----Original Message-----
From: Marianne [mailto:mcbeith@googlemail.com]
Sent: 01 February 2009 08:01
To: pamela.steele@re-taste.com
Subject: Re: Bark beetle? in Pines

Dear Pamela

 

 Is the beetle about 4mm long, with a black head and throat and chestnut-brown wings and legs? Is the white resin exuding from the tree in the shape of a volcano? If yes, your beetle could be Tomicus destruens Woll. The hole is made by the beetle to provide a nuptial chamber, and while the female creates a gallery in which to lay her eggs the male expels the resin. The larvae that emerge from the gallery, which is always built vertical to the trunk, feed on the fibre that channels the sap, eating outwards from the gallery, ie horizontally. Of course, if they get all the way round the trunk that is the end of the tree.

 

But don't despair.

 

We had about 50 pine trees, each of which had at least 50 volcanos. As the trees were old with thick bark, we scraped around each of the volcanos to lay bare the hole  into the chamber and into this  we injected a neat insecticide with a syringe. A laborious and dangerous job as the trees were very tall. But it worked. In spite of the massive infestation, we didn't lose one of the trees we treated. We DID lose two trees, which we found in a postmortem to have been attacked by beetles (Orthotomicus erosus Woll) that don't leave a volcano.

 

So, be grateful for the volcanos.

 

Assuming that you save your trees and are interested in preventive measures, the best thing you can do is keep your trees healthy and free of processionarias (the beetles like to attack old/sick trees) and burn any prunings or fallen trees (the beetles are attracted by the the smell).

 

Andrew Beith

Mallorca, Spain

----- Original Message -----

From: p*@re-taste.com

To: m*@ucdavis.edu

Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 2:48 PM

Subject: Bark beetle? in Pines

On close inspection of 2 of our Pinus halepensis I can see evidence of what appears to be the holes of a bark beetle.  The white resin is exuding from some small holes on the trunk.  I have found some information on the internet from the University of California and it doesn't look good news for me.  I am not 100% sure  is a bark beetle but the diagrams of the damage seem to fit.  Has anyone had experience of this problem, any advice or information would be very much appreciated.

 

Pamela

Costa Blanca