Do you have a question -or- need to contact an expert? Many species of beetles belong to this group, but most are secondary invaders. Left to right: “S”-shaped egg galleries of the Southern pine beetle; “Y”- or “H”-shaped egg galleries of the Ips engraver beetles. Secondary invaders are a symptom of other problems with the health of the tree or shrub, but may contribute to its decline. Larvae often tunnel completely around the trunk or branches they infest, producing noticeable scars or girdling. Tree borers are insects that infest trees under bark and damage them extensively by boring and tunneling through the wood. Larvae are creamcolored grubs without legs. Deodar weevil larva, pupa and adult. IMAjet Systemic Insecticide (5.0 percent imidacloprid): Warning. Ferti. Spray at the first sign of insects. Only a few products are effective on larvae tunneling beneath the bark, such as that of the flatheaded borer beetles. Larvae are cream-colored and legless with widened, flattened body segments just behind the heads. They require about 2 years to develop. Discus™ Nursery Insecticide (0.70 percent cyfluthrin plus 2.94 percent imidacloprid): Caution. Borer infestations often go unnoticed until plants or parts of plants begin to die or show external signs of damage. Tunneling can girdle trunks and branches. Many other insects live in dying or dead trees, including natural enemies (predators and parasites) of the insect borers, sap or fungi feeders, or species which merely use the spaces provided by the tunnels and galleries as living quarters. tations without apparent serious results. For ornamental trees with a trunk diameter of 3 inches or larger for treatment of borers. Application timing and method also may be specified on the label. Treatment limited by tree species to treatment of bark beetles on cedar, cypress, juniper and pine; engraver beetles; red and black turpentine beetles; and Nantucket pine tip moth on Douglas fir and pine. Do not inject trees within 2 weeks of any other spray or soil chemical treatment. Call Henrys Tree Service of Fort Worth! Borers tunnel in the inner bark layer (cambium), which transports nutrients and water to the leaves. 8); Euzophera ostricolorella, a root collar borer that infests potted magnolia; and the American plum borer (Euzophera semifuneralis), which invades damaged or improperly pruned branches on a wide variety of woody ornamentals. Several closely related species with similar life cycles also occur in Texas, but may develop in other host trees. Available to homeowners through retail outlets for roundheaded borers apply 3 fluid ounces per inch of tree circumference or 9 fluid ounces per foot of shrub height. Their holes are normally round, oval or semicircular and are found in a random pattern on the plant. First Baptist Church, 106 Colt Road, Livingston, Texas 77351, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory, Texas A&M College of Agrculture and Life Sciences, Texas Watershed Steward Workshop; In person or Online, SE Region Row Crop Initiative Grain and Cotton Marketing Update: Online Zoom, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc8xY2YuOfM.