Western Pine Bark Beetle

There has been a substantial uprise in bark beetles throughout San Diego County. The most common species infesting pines in urban areas are the western pine beetles. These damaging pests have been wreaking havoc across the county in epidemic proportions and are the current number one cause of pine tree deaths in San Diego.

The western pine beetle initially attacks midway up the tree, but the first sign of the attack may often be checkered beetles seen scurrying over the bark in search of food sources. Adult beetles lay eggs underneath the bark where larvae feed on the living tissue of the bark. Western bark beetles love to take advantage of stressed-out trees. However, there has been a recent spike in infestations in healthy thriving pine trees.

How Does The Western Pine Beetle Affect Your Trees?
If you have pine trees and the needles have rapidly changed to yellow, orange, or red in the past season, it is best to remove these trees. Beetles living in these trees will continue to develop unless the trees are removed or treated with an insecticide before the infestation kills the tree. The adults emerge to attack a new host throughout the warmer months. The host tree if left untreated or removed is typically dead within a year of the initial infestation.

What Can You Do?
The best way to protect your trees would be to have a Certified Arborist inspect your trees to determine if there is already an infestation and whether or not the tree will survive. Protective injection treatments for bark beetles must be done by a licensed pesticide applicator.

Pine Bark Beetle Treatment

Contact Us
For more information about the Western Pine Bark Beetle or our pest & disease control services, please give our office a call today! 760.745.7871

We’re proud to offer reliable and quality tree services to North County San Diego residents, including the communities of Bonsall, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Oceanside, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Vista.