If you don’t know about the growing problem with ips beetles, brush up on your tree pest knowledge. These tree-borer insects (also called engraver beetles) can overtake and kill an otherwise healthy specimen within a growing season if not properly addressed.
Green Pointe Tree Care’s professional arborist in Salt Lake City explores how ips beetle infestations can and will destroy your favorite evergreens.
What Should Tree Lovers Know About Ips Beetles?
These tiny brown or black insects are a fraction of the size of a penny. They blend in with their surroundings and are difficult to spot with the naked eye. The ips beetle lifecycle typically lasts from six to eight weeks.
Mature beetles target and overtake rotten wood and struggling trees around mid-April in Utah. They gradually reproduce, using woody, tough tissues to support their broods and build impressively intricate tunnel systems. The beetle most commonly attacks conifer evergreen species, such as:
- Spruces
- Pines
- Hemlocks
- Firs
How You Can Tell When These Insects Overtake Trees
What does ips beetle damage to trees look like? Look out for early warning signs, like:
- Discolored needles
- Neat, tiny holes in the trunk
- Piles of reddish dust at the trunk’s base
When you discover the majority of the needles turn yellow and brown or tunnel systems just beneath the outer bark, you have a more progressive infestation on your hands.
Prevent and Treat Infestations By…
Fortunately, you can protect your healthy specimens from ips beetles by taking some extra precautions. The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands recommends the following habits to prevent and combat a bark beetle infestation.
Taking Care of Vulnerable Trees
One of the most powerful ips beetle control methods is prevention. These insects prefer weakened trees with low immunity. Adequate watering, fertilization, and pruning methods keep them from gaining a foothold in your specimens.
Moving Rotten Wood Away From Potential Targets
Since these pine tree pests love compromised tree tissues, they gravitate toward dead wood. Deposit any dead bits of trees some distance away from the healthy ones. This’ll keep beetles from spreading.
Applying Recommended Pesticides
You need more aggressive pest control tactics to tackle active infestations. As soon as you notice signs of an infestation, contact your arborist at Green Pointe Tree Care to discuss safe but effective pesticides. They can also remove and dispose of rotten wood with advanced infestations that may never fully recover.
When you get rid of a heavily infested pieces of wood, you keep the beetles from traveling to new hosts like live trees.
Speak With Green Pointe Tree Care’s Tree Huggers in Salt Lake City, Utah
Have you found signs of ips beetles thriving on your pines or spruces? Ask for a free estimate for tree pest control in Salt Lake City, Utah. At Green Pointe Tree Care, we know how long trees live with pests and what to do to fix the problem. Learn more now.