Pine Beetles – Attracted to Pine Chips

Q: We recently had lightning strike a tree in our backyard. We had the tree chipped and used it for mulch in our backyard. Six weeks later, we noticed two pines in the backyard oozing rosin from the bottom ten feet of the trunks. Did the chips attract more beetles?

A: Yes, it would have been better not to spread the pine chips around your other pine trees. Fresh chips can attract beetles to healthy trees. Hire an ISA certified arborist (www.georgiaarborist.org) to assess the situation and decide whether spraying insecticide on your pines is warranted.

Pine Beetle FAQ

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