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**** The Gardener's Forum ****]
Prevention and Control of Borers
Clearwing moth larvae
August 25, 2002
HELP! I have 7 pine trees that have turned completely brown within the last 6-8 weeks due to pine borers that travelled from my neighbor's yard...he had pine mulch delivered, and we believe it was infested because he had an infestation in his trees shortly afterward. How do you control them from killing more of the trees in my yard?
***
I wish that I could offer you a quick fix. Unfortunately, borers (the larvae of the Clearwing Moth) are tough to control because they burrow beneath the bark of trees, making the inaccessible to most chemical applications. The moths lay their eggs primarily on trees which suffer from some sort of stress. The tunnels which the newly hatched larvae create as they burrow and eat disrupt the flow of nutrients and water to the trunk and branches, weakening them and possibly killing the entire tree.
Keep your trees well watered and fed, and remove and destroy affected branches.
You may be well advised to contact a certified arborist or tree service regarding the removal of the dead trees. He can also offer suggestions regarding the use of parasitic wasps and beneficial nematodes in your garden to control borers and many other harmful insects.
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