BLACK TURPENTINE BEETLE CONTROL AND TREATMENTS | BUGSPRAY

Black turpentine beetles are members of the pine borer family. Larger than related pine borers, the turpentine beetle is active along the entire east coast of the United States where they typically target southern pines, red spruce and other pines.

Black turpentine beetles are small, black, oval shaped and good flyers. Once active in the yard, the infected tree will fill the air with turpentine beetle pheromones used to attract more.

This short video (less than 60 seconds long) gives you a brief summary of all the detailed information below. As you scroll down, you’ll see everything you need along with “add to cart” buttons for ordering directly from this page:

 

BLACK TURPENTINE BEETLE BIOLOGY

Female beetles initiate the problem by targeting a good host tree. Once on the bark, she’ll drill a hole attempting to nest under protective bark. Holes created by turpentine beetles will form a “pitch” of tree sap. This defensive behavior can thwart the invasion but often times is not enough to stop all activity. Beetles surviving the gooey sap will move laterally around the tree trunk channeling galleries soon to be used by young beetles.

Once inside the tree, the female will attract a male, mate and lay eggs. Turpentine beetle larvae will feed in groups burrowing just underneath the bark of host trees. This feeding will create wide tunnels making the damage quite unique to this species. Sawdust will often spill from the tree as they feed, a sure sign of damaging activity.

TURPENTINE BEETLE LIFE CYCLE

Within a few months of hatching and feeding, beetle larvae will branch off from their family group where they will drill small chambers used to pupate. A few weeks later they’ll emerge as adults and either stay on the host tree or move to one nearby attempting to spread their population. Turpentine beetles can cycle 3-4 times a year depending on your weather zone.

TURPENTINE BEETLE TREE DAMAGE

The initial damage done to trees infested with turpentine beetles is usually not enough to kill it. Nesting tends to focus on the exposed roots and the first 5-8 feet of trunk. Look for tell tale holes emitting sap. When first discovered, a thorough treatment should stop new beetles from coming around and within a few weeks, kill off the active beetles underneath the bark. If activity is controlled in the first 2-3 years, you can generally expect save the infested tree allowing it to fully recover.

View this detailed video is a great overview of what the treatments will entail.

 

HOW TO TREAT FOR TURPENTINE BEETLES

Trees showing beetle activity should be sprayed with MAXXTHOR EC. One thorough treatment can usually kill off current activity but plan on treating every 3 months for the first year to ensure complete control.

Mix .25 oz of Maxxthor per gallon of water and plan on using .5 to 1 gallon of mixed spray per infested tree (depending on the size of the trunk).

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To get the most of your treatment, add SPREAD-X BOOST to your tank mix along with the Maxxthor. Boost is an adjuvant, also known as a wetter spreader or spreader sticker. It basically makes water and the mixture more “slippery” so you get better coverage. Treatments will spread 2-3 times wider and penetrate deeper. This is super important when spraying trees. Boost will help the Maxxthor get “into” the bark that much deeper and as a result, residuals will be longer and the immediate impact your treatment will be magnified.

The following short video summarizes why Boost can help deliver your treatment better.

Add no more than the rate you’re applying the Maxxthor so in this case, if you’re adding 2.5 oz of Maxxthor to the hose end sprayer, add 2.5 oz of Boost too before adding water. If you’re adding Maxxthor to a pump sprayer at the rate of 1 oz per gallon, use 1 oz of Boost.

And don’t forget to add Boost to your soil drenches with the Prothor. Boost and Prothor, as well as Joy Juice, are all compatible and the Boost will get the treatment at least twice as deep. This insures the actives will be “in” the tree that much faster with Boost speeding up the time it takes to get the actives to the roots for absorption.

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Apply the Maxxthor using any good PUMP SPRAYER.

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If you need to reach up 30-35 feet or more, our NO PUMP SPRAYER will help big time. It relies on air pressure and can be pumped up to 80-90 psi safely. The small one can hold 1.5 gallons of mixture and when pressurized, will pump out the entire contents with only one time filling it with air. It’s especially helpful when you need to treat trees that are not reachable with a garden hose.

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This video covers all you need to know about the sprayer:

SYSTEMIC TREATMENTS

Although systemically treating for turpentine beetles usually won’t kill them all, it can help by getting deep rooting activity that reaches the heartwood. Systemics work by killing any pest that might feed on foliage or the inside layers of the limbs and trunks. This can have beneficial impact on sickly trees since they can’t stand to loose any vital nutrients damaging pests like aphids, caterpillars, pine moths or whiteflies will cause.

Use .1 oz of PROTHOR per inch of tree width and soil drench inside the drip line of any tree you want to protect. So for a tree 10 inches wide, you’d add 1 oz of Prothor to 3-5 gallons and then “pour” the mixture from a 5 gallon bucket into small holes you make on the ground around the tree trunk. Holes need only be large enough to hold the mixture when poured out and can be made with a pick axe or piece of rebar. Prothor will last a long time and only needs to be applied once a year.

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Use a good EARTH AUGER to drill holes in the ground around the tree.

Holes should be about 2 feet out from the trunk base and plan on making 5-7 holes per bucket of mixture.

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