What's killing the Pines?

[Bob_Young]

Between 3 separate properties, I have hundreds of pine trees. Mostly white pine but also some scotch and red pine. My Dad was a bug on planting these things and some he planted are over 30' tall with 15" trunks or more. I've got a few others that are much older and they're affected as well.

Nearly all of them have a large number of brown needles which they seem to shed, but then more turn brown. Finally the tree dies with very few needles anywhere and much sign of insect infestation. Don't know whether the bugs are causing the problem or if they're attacking the tree after it becomes weak.

A few trees appear unaffected while trees right next to them (spacing about 20') have been killed. We've had bad ice storms the past few years and many limbs came down. It took awhile to get to some of the plantings and get things picked up. Am wondering if the debris attracted pests that then moved to the live trees. However, slow cleanup was definitely not a problem on 2 of the 3 locations.

Some plantings seem to have a large number of affected trees, but none ever seem to die. Others look totally healthy and then, a year later, a half dozen trees are dead and several more nearly so. My douglas fir plantings, though heavily molested by deer, are unaffected.

Any information on what this is and how to fight it would be appreciated.
Bob

 

[AndyMA]

If ir was happening to me in Conn I would talk to the local Ag extension service at UConn. Cornell appears to have a similar program:

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Andy

 

[AndyMA]

Or try this one, the Federal USDA program:

Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry - USDA Forest Service

Andy

 

[MossRoad]

Look carefully at around the dead branches. Are there little pine cone looking things about 1-2" long hanging down all over the place? If not, ignore the rest of this post. If so, look closer at the little cone things. They are silk bags with pine needle camouflage and a little caterpillar inside. Bag worms.

 

[curly]

I have lost many on our 40 acres by pine beetles here (SC). They were already dead when we moved here 3 years ago, but they continue to fall. Like prev poster suggested, call the local ag people, may be something you can do.

 

[ToadHill]

Most of the damage to pines in the last few years has been caused by the Pine Bark Beetle. The trees are stressed from drought in the last few years and the beetle, which has been around for a long time, now does damage that the trees could handle under normal circumstances.

 

[Jimbrown]

In New york most likely the mountain pine bark beatle.
Mountain Pine Beetle

 

[OKnewguy]

It might not be the case with you northern guys, but here in OK, there is a nematoad (spelling?) that supposedly eats all of the little rots one the trees. As this happens the pines do not handle our summer months well. About 4 years ago, I lost 3 pines in a drought, and this was the cause (or atleast that is what the old timers claim).
Dave

 

[DieselPower]

I have a couple of hundred White Pines and Scotch Pines here and luckily the only ones that I have had die in the last couple of years are due either to being blown down by the wind or those pesky Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker Woodpeckers. The Sap Sucker Woodpecker pecks holes around the trunk in rings all up and down the trunk. The birds plan is that it gives bugs a place to get into the tree, the bad part is it kills the darn trees. Luckily I haven't had any bug problems with them (yet). However, it seems like all the hard wood trees are not doing so well. Most of the hard wood species in my area have one disease or another.

 

[Foothill Rancher]

Most of the damage to pines in the last few years has been caused by the Pine Bark Beetle. The trees are stressed from drought in the last few years and the beetle, which has been around for a long time, now does damage that the trees could handle under normal circumstances.

A number of years back Calif. was infested with this bug, wiped out large amount of trees, at my place it took out mostly sugar pines but some whites also.
You could watch the trees starting to die and turn brown, within a few weeks they would be dead.
The only fix was to cut the dead down and sell them or burn them. The big thing was to get any of the bark or limbs that were on the ground and burn them.
You would see sawdust and small holes in the base of the trees.
When our winters returned to a more normal temp and rainfall the trees again were able to fight the bugs.

 

[N80]

Curly, what we have is the southern pine beetle, it is a bark beetle apparently. Here is a great resource but the latest data is from the late 90's. I heard recently that the most recent outbreak in the south was severe but has peaked and is on the decline. I've lost quite a few trees but they have been scattered. Some over 50 feet tall. And man, they die fast!

A History of Southern Pine Beetle Outbreaks In The Southeastern United States

There are management principles for fighting it, but they involve forestry equipment, time and money.

 

[JDeerekid]

Most of my pine trees are fine, but my neighbors have been infested with the beetle. What can you do to stop them from going after the good trees.
Also all of my ash trees have been infested with something. All the tops are dying out of them. Someone told me it was also a bug, but when I cut them up there is nothing.

 

[N80]

Here is an excellent resource for SC regarding pine diseases, especially the southern pine beetle:

South Carolina Forestry Commission Insects and Disease

There are some prevention and treatment tips there too.

 

[MrWoodChips]

Also all of my ash trees have been infested with something. All the tops are dying out of them. Someone told me it was also a bug, but when I cut them up there is nothing.

This web site talks about three diseases that have been attacking ash trees. It sounds like verticillium is what is attacking your trees, since you say the tops are dying first.

Trees - Ash Tree Decline

John

 

[DocHeb]

This web site talks about three diseases that have been attacking ash trees. It sounds like verticillium is what is attacking your trees, since you say the tops are dying first.

Trees - Ash Tree Decline

John

Most of the Ash Trees that are dying in the Midwest are succumbing to the Emerald Ash Tree Borer. I believe the Ash Tree Decline diagnosis was made before the EATB was identified.

 

[radman1]

It might not be the case with you northern guys, but here in OK, there is a nematoad (spelling?) that supposedly eats all of the little rots one the trees. As this happens the pines do not handle our summer months well. About 4 years ago, I lost 3 pines in a drought, and this was the cause (or atleast that is what the old timers claim).
Dave

You are correct. There is a nematode that infests some pine trees such as scotch pine. It will eventually kill them but usually not until they are 10-15 or more years old. There is no current treatment. The trees will die slowly or more quickly with stress.

 

[WarrenF]

What is killing your trees???? The tree hugger environmental whackos that have decided it is better to devastate a forest rather than to spray pesticides to kill the bugs. Good Luck. You will spend a fortune fighting this now..........

 

[ToadHill]

Ash trees also have been attacked for many years by a disease known as Ash Yellows. Without a picture and close up of the tree and it's leaves it's difficult to determine what caused the decline. I made my living for a number of years as an Arborist and I would never diagnose a problem without seeing the tree.

 

[Chuck52]

What is killing your trees???? The tree hugger environmental whackos that have decided it is better to devastate a forest rather than to spray pesticides to kill the bugs. Good Luck. You will spend a fortune fighting this now..........

Got a specific insecticide in mind? Generalized spraying of large areas with non-specific insecticides sounds wacko to me. We kinda need some of those insects....like bees and such. It's fun to rant about some of the borderline crazies in the "environmental" movement, but this doesn't strike me as a real good case.

Chuck

 

[WarrenF]

Got a specific insecticide in mind? Generalized spraying of large areas with non-specific insecticides sounds wacko to me. We kinda need some of those insects....like bees and such. It's fun to rant about some of the borderline crazies in the "environmental" movement, but this doesn't strike me as a real good case.

Chuck

Ah good point, however you have failed to understand one thing. Most who use pesticides understand better than those who regurgitate propaganda.....Honey Bees and some insects are very beneficial to plant life and pollination. Note, I did not say non-specific pesticides. In the spirit of the post, and responses I was mainly refering to bark beetles and such. Rather than to spout propaganda, it might be nice to understand spraying practices before speaking. ALL PESTICIDES SPRAYED IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS ARE DONE AT NIGHT....when honey bees and beneficial insects are GENERALLY asleep.

With generalized statements that are easily used to inflame public opinion....the American food eater....and I would presume that would include you....will be paying more and more and more for food.