Pest Management for Pine Trees - West Texas Urban Forestry Council

Pest Management
for Pine Trees
Oscar Mestas, Don Grosman and
Bill Upton.
Texas Forest Service,
Forest Pest Management
Lufkin, Texas
Ph: 936-639-8170;
Email: omestas@tfs.tamu.edu,
dgrosman@tfs.tamu.edu,
bupton@tfs.tamu.edu
Texas Forest Service
In the spring of 2008, Pinus
eldarica (Afghan pine) trees
in El Paso, TX were found to
be dying.
Surveys revealed Afghan pines were found to be dying
in several communities in west Texas and southern
New Mexico.
External evidence of
chalcid attacks on
branches of Afghan
pine. Notice the
“donuts” (left) and
“bumpy” bark (above).
Small pits containing insect
larvae were found under the bark
of dying branches.
A reference to similar damage was
found in Western Forest Insects
(Furniss and Carolin) and an adult was
collected by Mr. Mestas. It is believed
to be a tiny chalcid wasp, probably
Eurytoma species, family Eurytomidae.
Control Trial
Fifteen trees were selected in El Paso and ten in Midland.
Five trees were treated in El Paso with a Merit®
(imidacloprid) soil injection in late December 2008.
In early April 2009, five trees each (El Paso and Midland)
were injected with emamectin benzoate
(0.16g AI/cm DBH) using Arborjet’s
Tree IV (below right).
Five trees were selected at each site
and monitored as untreated controls.
Texas Forest Service
Emamectin Benzoate
(TREE-äge)
Developed from avermectin, a product of a
naturally occurring soil-born bacteria,
Streptomyces avermitilis. It was discovered in 1984.
Acts on insect nerves to suppress muscle contraction,
resulting in insect paralysis and death.
After injection into a tree, emamectin benzoate appears to
be stored in the tree’s sugars and proteins, and released
as the tree uses it’s stored energy. This results in
extended tree protection (3 or more years).
A branch was collected from the lower, middle and upper
crown of each study tree. The bark was pealed from 30 cm of
each branch and live larvae and last years emergence was
tallied.
Emergence ‘08Texas Forest Service
Live Larvae ‘09
Occurrence of Chalcid Wasp on Untreated Afghan Pine
Based on Crown Level, El Paso & Midland, TX: 2009
Number of Chalcids per 100cm2
45
Low
Mid
B
Upper
40
35
30
25
A
A
20
15
A
A
10
A
5
0
Emergence '08
Live Larvae '09
Texas Forest Service
Pre- and Post-Treatment Occurrence of Chalcid Wasp
on Afghan Pine Branches, El Paso, TX: 2009 & 2010
Texas Forest Service
Pre- and Post-Treatment Occurrence of Chalcid Wasp
on Afghan Pine Branches, Midland, TX: 2009
Number of Chalcids per 100cm2
80
B
Check
EB
70
60
50
40
30
A
B
20
10
A
0
Pre-Treatment
Post-Treatment (6 mo)
Texas Forest Service
Skyline Park Comparison tag#1 Check (untreated)
April 2009
September 2010
Texas Forest Service
Skyline Park Comparison tag#13 Imidacloprid
April 2009
September 2010
Texas Forest Service
Skyline Park Comparison tag#8 Emamectin Benzoate
April 2009
September 2010
Texas Forest Service
Relative Condition of Afghan Pine
Before and 18 Months After Treatment, El Paso, TX
Texas Forest Service
Acknowledgements
W. Upton and B. Kavanagh provided field and lab
assistance.
J. Pase (TFS) provided SBB emergence data.
S. Calhoun (Skyline Park, El Paso), R. Myers (City of
Midland), T. French (private landowner), D. Moore (City of
Allen) and C. Krajca (City of Mesquite) provided study
trees.
This research was supported, in part, by the
Forest Pest Management Cooperative and USFS-FHP R-8
Invasive Species grant, as well as equipment and product
from Arborjet, Inc. and Syngenta Crop Protection.
PINE ENGRAVER BEETLES
Ips avulsus
Ips grandicollis
Ips calligraphus
Here is what to look for . . . .
Engraver beetles are small and difficult to
identify. The rear end of adults has spines
and is “scooped out.”
Ips Activity Is Often Associated
with Lightening Strikes
Pitch tubes often form
on the bark of a pine
tree where Ips engraver
beetles have attacked
the tree. Attacks tend to
be on the bark plates
rather than in the bark
crevices.
Close-up picture of an
Ips pitch tube on the
bark of a pine tree
(note the color).
Pitch tube photos by Donna Work; all other photos by H. A. (Joe) Pase
Reddish boring dust that collects in bark crevices and at the
base of a pine tree indicates attack by pine engraver beetles.
Engraver beetles tend to select stressed or weakened trees
to attack, which results in scattered tree mortality. Notice
that other adjacent pine trees have not been attacked.
A female beetle lays her eggs along
one side of the vertical egg gallery.
Ips egg galleries typically are kept
free of “sawdust.”
Galleries made by Ips larvae extend
away from the egg gallery and
increase in width as the larvae
grow in size. Ips larval galleries
typically are packed with
“sawdust.”
Vertical egg galleries made by adult Ips beetles are a
constant width because adult beetles never grow any larger.
Typical I-shaped egg galleries made by adult small southern pine
engraver (Ips avulsus) beetles. The circular areas in the bark
are where the larvae pupated before emerging as adult beetles.
Control options for pine engraver beetles?
•
•
•
•
•
1. Do nothing
2. Cut and remove infested trees
3. Chemical control is seldom effective
4. Cut-and-leave control is NOT effective
5. Maintain healthy stands (prevention)
Single Tree Protection
“Standard Method”: Spray entire bole with a
hydraulic sprayer. Large trees (>30 ft) may
require the use of a bucket truck.
Few Products Available: Carbaryl (Sevin®),
permethrin (Astro® & Permethrin Pro®) and
bifenthrin (Onyx®). Onyx® most effective,
but hard to come by. Permethrin OK. Sevin®
reported to be ineffective against southern
pine bark beetles.
Few Companies Apply: Called 10 companies in
Lufkin area; only two will spray for bark
beetles (one will only treat for BTB & I’m
skeptical about the second)
Hydraulic sprays can only reach to a height of ~30 feet. For larger
trees, the need for a bucket truck increase cost considerably.
Texas Forest Service
Even with a light breeze, pesticide can easily drift off target.
Texas Forest Service
Effects of Emamectin Benzoate on Ips
Colonization 1 Month After Injection
Check
EB @ 1 month
Effects of EB injection treatments on Ips galleries length
and brood development in loblolly pine logs: 2005 - 2007
250
With Brood
Without Brood
Length of Egg Galleries (cm)
200
150
100
50
0
Check EB
0.2
1 Month
EB
0.4
Check EB
0.2
3 Months
EB
0.4
Check EB
0.2
EB
0.4
Check EB
0.2
5 Months
Treatments / Time After Injection
EB
0.4
13 Months
Check EB
0.2
EB
0.4
25 Months
TREE-äge Proposed Pest Targets

Pine Wood Nematode
Lepidoptera
 Pine Coneworm
 Western Spruce
Budworm
 Winter Moth
 Bagworm
 Fall Webworm
 Gypsy Moth
 Tent Caterpillars
 Clearwing Borers
 Leaf Miners
 Oakworm Caterpillar
Hymenoptera
 Erythrina Gall Wasp
 Sawfly
Coleoptera
 Emerald Ash Borer
 Bronze Birch Borer
 Two Lined Chestnut Borer
 Longhorn Borers
 Bark Beetles (Scolytids)
 White Pine Weevil
Mites
 Mites – Eur., Spruce, 2 spotted
 Eryiophid Mites
Pine Tip Moth
(Nantucket pine tip moth)
(Rhyacionia frustrana)
Pine Tip Moth
• The larvae feed in the growing tips of young
pines
• Five generations per year in the deep South
• Control is usually not economically feasible
• On intensively-managed sites, treatment may be
warranted
• Fond of Virginia pine
• Permethrin, Mimic, and
Orthene are used for control
• Once trees reach a height
of eight to ten feet, tip moths
usually are not a problem
Pine tip moth attacks (larvae) exhibit
webbing and pitch at or near the growing tip.
Pine tip moth damage to a
young tree (left) and a
plantation (below).
Tip moth larvae pupate
in the infested tip.
Spray applications before each of 3 – 5 generations can be
effective for reducing growth losses but they are difficult to
time properly and not economical for large tracts.
P37
SilvaShield™ Forestry Tablets (imidacloprid +
fertilizer) was registered in 2006.
It can be dropped into the plant hole during
planting or pushed into the soil next to the
seedling after planting.
Tablet can protect seedling for 18 – 24 months.
PTM™ (fipronil) was registered in 2007.
Its applied as a soil injection treatment during
or after planting.
It can protect seedlings for 2 – 3 years.
Kioritz
PTM Spot
Gun
Fitted Machine Planter
Effect of fipronil in-furrow and plant hole treatments on
tip moth infestation – TR#1, 3 WG sites: 2004 - 2006
Mean (+ SE) Pct. Shoots Infested
35
30
CY 2004
CY 2005
CY 2006
25
20
15
10
₤
₤
5
*
0
F2x
F4x
F8x
a
a
F2x +
PH
₤
₤
a
*
*
F4x +
PH
F8x +
PH
a
*
PH only
Treatment
*, a or £ = Means are significantly different from check.
*
a
Mimic
Spray
Check
Protected
Unprotected
Questions?
Thank you
for your
attention!
Texas Forest Service