Unfortunately, a tree that has dried out or is heavily infested with bark beetles cannot be saved – it must be immediately cut down, the stump uprooted and burned to prevent the pests from spreading to healthy plants.
If the damage is not so serious, you can try to get rid of the pests. However, folk methods, according to the expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", scientist-agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, are powerless here: you will need to seek help from special insecticides, which can be chemical or biological.
If single holes are found on the tree, the larvae can be removed mechanically.
How to get rid of bark beetles manually
Mechanical extraction and destruction of parasites is effective only at an early stage, when bark beetles have just begun to attack the tree and there are only a couple of holes in its trunk.
If there are significantly more passages, and you notice dusty light sawdust under the plant, it is better to use special preparations.
So, you will need a sharp and pre-disinfected knife, which you need to clean the area around the hole.
To do this, make a neat cut in the bark and pull it apart to determine the direction of travel.
After this, insert a long, flexible metal wire into the passage.
Remove and inspect the wire from time to time – sooner or later you will find a trapped larva on its end, which needs to be crushed. After that, carefully seal the hole with garden pitch.
The same thing should be done with the remaining holes.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
