How to help prevent an Ips beetles infestation in your pine tree

Evergreens like pines, spruces, firs, junipers, cedars, and larches can make beautiful additions to a home landscape. The care and maintenance of these trees can bring satisfaction for years. However, each species has pest problems, that when managed can be avoided. This article will focus on one the most common evergreen pest problems, the Ips beetle, and steps you can take to prevent Ips beetle damage.

Healthy trees that do not have to compete for sunlight, water, or nutrients are always more equipped to fight off pests. Some people buy homes with established trees that do not give the space trees need to be healthy, but if you can plant your own trees, research to find out how big the tree will be when it is mature and plant it, so it has the space to be healthy.

Environmental conditions are one of the largest losses in evergreen trees. This is not necessarily a pest issue, but if a tree has environmental stress, disease and insect pests can have easier access and have a greater impact on the health of the tree. Trees need to be watered less frequently, but deeper than grass. Trees need deeper water in the drip line of the trees, where the roots are. This means that you will need to water about twice as long as you normally water your grass.

In addition, any injury to a tree can provide an entry point for fungal, bacterial, and insect pests. Broken branches should be pruned off as soon as possible. Evergreens with two tops are more likely to be damaged with windstorms, as soon as you notice two tops forming on the trees, cut one off. Simple cuts early in a tree’s life will make a dramatic difference later in life.

Evergreen trees are native to our forests where nature helps them complete their life cycle. Part of that life cycle is death and decay. Each species of tree has a variety of insects, fungi, and bacteria that bring about death and decay, creating room for younger trees to take their place. When we bring these trees into home landscapes, they continue to be susceptible to the same organisms that bring death and decay in the forest.

There are several species of bark beetles. In pine trees, the one I see the most is the Ips beetle. They are common in any species of pine tree. The Ips beetle infects the tree from the top to the bottom. You will notice red-orange dust on the bark. Under the bark you will find Y- or H-shaped gallery patterns usually running with the grain of the wood. The galleries are usually free of dust. Once infected, there is nothing you can to do kill the pest, so prevention is the best practice.

So how can you prevent them? Ips beetles spread to home landscapes in firewood or from neighboring trees that have been infected. Overwintering beetles begin to emerge when the temperature consistently reach 50-60˚F. Preventive insecticides can be used and are effective if sprayed prior to adult beetle infestations. Two applications should be made, early spring and summer, to protect trees during high-risk conditions. Insecticides used to prevent Ips include permethrin, bifenthrin, or carbaryl. Always read and follow pesticide labels.