Unfortunately, that’s an all-too-common occurrence for property owners in Bucks County and a number of other regions in Eastern Pennsylvania, where a devilish little pest known as the white pine weevil attacks and subsequently kills the tops of trees each year.

The white pine weevil operates by hibernating in the winter near potential host trees. Come spring, they crawl or fly onto a tree’s top “leader” branch, which is where they start feeding on inner bark tissue. Egg-laying happens soon after the feeding begins. And yet weevil activity is not normally noticed until mid-summer, when the terminal growth of the tree wilts and starts to curve, resembling the crook of a shepherd’s staff. This part of the tree then begins to dry out and turn brown, often falling off later in the season. Depending on the amount of activity, this may be the top two or three inches of the tree.

This can be a wholly preventable problem, and here’s the truly good news: It’s a problem that doesn’t need to involve the spring spraying of multiple pesticide applications, which is unfortunately still a standard treatment for white pine weevil in Pennsylvania.

Pesticide spray treatment isn’t just a potentially harmful solution, though. Where the weevil is concerned, it’s also complicated and time-intensive.

In order for the pesticide to do its job, each subsequent application needs to be sprayed during a very specific phase of the weevil’s lifecycle. And when you consider that the pest is known to attack some 20 different tree species in the eastern part of the country (it’s especially fond of eastern white pines, jack pines and Norway spruce trees), you’ll probably agree that a pesticide-spraying campaign is less than ideal.

We’ve found that a single, well-timed fall soil injection of an insecticide called Imidacloprid can give complete control. With our precise injection equipment, we can get the proper amount of chemical where it needs to be in the soil, so that it’s translocated up to the leader of the tree by the time these weevils begin their spring feeding the next year.

There are a few different reasons we’re so fond of this particular method: It’s less environmentally risky than spraying, because a less active ingredient of the chemical is used overall. It also has a significantly smaller impact on natural enemies of the weevil than spraying does. With our systemic injection method, you will also save money over the cost of multiple spring spray applications.

This is literally the perfect time of year to stop weevil infestations in their tracks before the tops of your Bucks County or Montgomery County trees turn brown.

If you’d like to learn more, contact our team today, and let us know what questions you have. We’re here to help.

A tree that has been treated for Emerald Ash Borer (right) compared to one that has not.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has finally arrived in Southeastern Pennsylvania and that is leading to some tough and costly calls about preservation by local governments. The pest has been slowly making its way across the state and was first documented in our area in 2012. It had already been in the infected trees for two or three years at that point. The EAB has been found in area trees and parks (although it is believed to have not yet crossed the river into New Jersey). The invasive species is widely considered to be one of the most destructive forest pests ever to come to North America. In the end, the total costs to the country, particularly to states and municipalities, could total in the billions.

While many Ash trees in the Southeastern Pennsylvania may not yet be infected, it is only a matter of time. Unfortunately, Ash trees make up nearly 20 percent of the local tree population in Bucks County. While it can be devastating for homeowners to discover the pest, the costs for local governments can be exponentially more, simply due to the number of trees they must manage. Planning ahead can help blunt the impact of the EAB infestation and save your community money.

Making the Call on Public Trees

Unfortunately not every tree can or should be saved. Treatment can be costly and sometimes an alternative management plan is called for. A consultation with a Certified Arborist is the best way to decide on a plan to preserve or eliminate certain trees in parks or on public land. The Arborist can also consult with you on a management and removal plan for trees that cannot be preserved. Your municipality should also have a treatment or prevention plan in place for any trees you wish to preserve.

When a Tree Can Be Protected

When it comes to Ash trees that need to be managed, it is best to assume that the insect is nearby and likely to strike at any point. Thankfully, there are steps that can be taken to protect or save trees that are affected by the EAB. The first step is to have your Certified Arborist inspect individual trees and make sure that they are good candidate for preservation. When the decision has been made, there are a few different courses of treatment available, including soil applications, bark sprays, and tree injections. The Arborist will make this determination based on the size and current state of each individual tree.

When treating for the EAB, it is best to start preventive treatment as early as possible. Infestations by this pest generally do not show symptoms until the problem has progressed significantly. The EAB larvae quickly destroy the tree by blocking the vascular uptake of water and nutrients. You should begin inspecting the trees in your municipality immediately.

An Ash Tree Guarantee

Peter Benz Landscaping also offers a guarantee for Ash trees treated using the TREE-äge® product. If your Ash tree dies from an EAB infestation while under guarantee, you will be refunded your EAB treatment cost(s) for up to the previous four years.

• We will deliver treatments using research tested products using the most up to date protocols to provide for optimal effectiveness.
• We will visually inspect your protected tree(s) every 1-2 years to examine for evidence of Emerald Ash Borer infestation. This inspection may take place at the time of re- treatment. We are available to look at your tree at any time should you be concerned about its condition.
• This guarantee is fully transferable to a new property owner.

Contact Peter Benz Landscaping today to protect the valuable Ash trees in your community.

White pine weevils spend the winter as adults in dropped needles under or near host trees. As days warm up in March or April they will fly or crawl to the leaders of suitable hosts. They begin feeding on the bark of terminal leaders. Mating occurs on the bark of the tree through most of June. A single female may lay 100 or more eggs in pits on the bark of the previous year’s leader. After hatching, grubs tunnel downward under the bark. Adult beetles emerge from late June to early September. After emergence, the beetles fly to other areas.

Between the feeding and the egg laying, the top 18-24″ of the leader is usually killed. Severe infestation may result in the loss of 2-3 years of growth. Glistening drops of resin oozing from holes in the leader are the first signs of attack, caused by adult weevils that are feeding before egg-laying. As the terminal is girdled, the new shoot of the current year’s growth withers and the tip bends over and turns brown. This stage of damage usually becomes noticeable in July. These infested leaders should be pruned at a point below the tunneling grubs, making sure to either burn or secure them in plastic trash bags and remove them from the property. If left on site the weevils may continue to develop in the prunings.

The standard treatment for pine weevil is to spray insecticides such as permethrin, bifenthrin or cyfluthrin at different intervals, but timing of these spray treatments is critical. The first application, to the terminal leader, as well as the lower trunk of the tree, must be done right before the adults begin feeding and laying eggs. A second spray treatment should be done a few of weeks later to protect the terminal leader. Other applications to the leader during midsummer are often necessary to manage this insect during outbreaks.

As an alternative, a single systemic soil injection of Imidacloprid can be applied in the fall to avoid multiple spray applications throughout the season. This allows adequate time for the chemical to be taken up to the terminal leaders of the tree. This method of control uses less active ingredient of chemical overall and has a lower environmental risk. It also has a reduced impact on natural enemies of the weevil.