Property owners in Texas face numerous challenges. From extreme heat to torrential rains, the climate in the longhorn state doesn’t always work in our favour. The fight against mold, mildew, heat damage, flooding, and other issues continues every year, with threats like rodents and insect infestation looming at all times.

Fortunately, help is out there. When challenging situations like tree boring insect infestations strike, tree service by Nature’s Tree Removal in Houston, TX, has you covered.

In this blog, we talk about types of tree boring insects as well as how to treat and prevent infestations.

Types of Tree Boring Insects

“Tree-boring” refers to a broad classification of insects that feed on healthy trees.

Flat-Headed Wood Borers

Known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles, this family of boring insects prefers stressed, damaged, or recently transplanted trees.

Adult beetles sport a boat-like shape and a metallic outer shell. Flatheaded borers create flattened or oval boreholes in host plants as they dig.

Weevils

Rather than leaving long borehole tunnels behind, weevils dig chunks or cavities underneath the bark. Weevil infestations may go unnoticed until damage to underlying bark structures becomes apparent.

Often, specific weevil species target the roots or bases of woody ornamental plants.

Longhorn Beetles

Also known as round-headed borers, adult longhorn beetles have very long antennae. Like flat-headed wood borers, their larvae leave behind round and oval tunnels in tree bard and inner layers.

Round-headed borers typically serve as secondary invaders and come alongside other pest and disease infestations.

Wood-Boring Caterpillars

Sometimes referred to as clearwing borers, thanks to the wing colour of their adult moth form, wood-boring caterpillars lay eggs in tree bark. Once these eggs hatch, the larvae dig deeper into the bark, leaving pits and tunnels in the wood.

Once the larvae tunnel far enough into the bark, insecticide treatments may no longer work.

Treating Boring Insect Infestations

Treatment of insect infestations in trees depends on the type of tree in question, the species of insect, and which stage an infestation is in.

Insecticide

Trained tree care professionals use insecticides to spray the tree bark as well as any boreholes that exist.

Chemical insecticides fall under strict regulations in many states. To learn which insecticides are safe for use in the state of Texas, reach out to an arborist in your area today.

Dominion DL

In addition to insecticides, soil treatments provide another chemical method of treating and even preventing insect infestations. Dominion works on the roots and foliage at the tree’s base, helping prevent ground-loving insects from reaching more vulnerable parts of the tree.

Larvae Removal

When chemical solutions fail, some tree experts offer larvae removal. This method works best for trees with minimal or isolated infestations, either in one or two branches or in a small piece of bark.

In most cases, infestations have surpassed the point when manual removal will work. When all other methods fail, tree experts may need to remove the tree from your property.

How to Prevent Tree Boring Insect Infestations

The best ways to prevent bug and other types of infestations from damaging or killing the trees on your property come from working with trained tree professionals.

Quality Tree Care

First, arborists and other tree care professionals have years of education, training, and experience. These experts can spot early warning signs of potential bug infestations, such as exit holes and castings, and can take preventative measures as necessary.

Find Expert Tree Services In Your Area

Now that you know about tree boring insects, find out more about the importance of tree diversity in Houston and the surrounding areas. Call Nature’s Tree Removal at 713-824-9036 today.