Tree Borer Control: How to Get Rid of Tree Borers

This page is an expert guide on eliminating tree borer infestations using the products and methods suggested by our experienced pest control specialists. Follow this guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee you will be successful in eliminating tree borers from your property.

Having a tree on your landscape can provide shade and improve the overall look of your garden, but at the same time, it could also be at risk of damage by a group of wood-loving pests known as tree borers.

Tree borers is a catch-all term for a number of destructive insect species that share the characteristic of boring into tree trunks and branches and threatening the tree's overall health. This term is most commonly used with beetle species so as not to be confused with termites.

Most tree borers are the larval stages of certain beetles and moths, but others do damage as adults, such as the bark beetle. No matter the type, tree borers need to be eliminated quickly to save your infested tree, or else you may have to remove the tree entirely.

This guide will show you what you can do to eliminate tree borers and what cultural practices you can use to keep tree borers from targeting your landscape tree.

Identification

Before you can carry out a treatment program, you need to be sure that you are dealing with Tree borers and not some other pest. Knowing what tree borers look like helps you identify them accurately. 

• Tree borers are not a specific insect type but rather a name for a group of insects that lays eggs in the bark of a tree trunk. Their larvae eat the wood and decay it from the inside, rotting not only the tree but also the entire landscape in some cases.
• Tree borers could be bark beetles, clearwing moths, or flat-headed borers, among others. Regardless of the species, they all bore into trees and are a hazard to their health.
• To help you identify which species you have, factors like your tree species and the symptoms you observe can help you narrow down which specific insect is doing the damage.
• For example, tiny holes in trunks may be the result of bark beetles; larger holes with sawdust-like residue are a clear sign of clearwing moth larvae; wet spots and dark stains in the shape of the letter D or number 0 may be the work of flatheaded or roundheaded borers.

Use the image and description above to help you correctly identify tree borers. If you are unsure, contact us, and one of our pros will help you identify tree borers on your property correctly.

Inspection

After confirming that you are dealing with tree borers, you can proceed with an inspection. During this phase, you will need to find out where the tree borers are active and how severe of an infestation is present. This will help you to determine where to focus your tree borer treatment applications.

Where To Look 

Focus your inspection on the trees on your property. Pay particularly close attention to tree trunks and branches. In some cases, the tree borer damage may be so severe that the tree cannot be salvaged, and you may have to remove it.

What To Look For

As the identification section mentions, you should look for signs of tree damage or active tree borers. Look for holes in the trunks and branches, remnants of sawdust-like frass, dead tree limbs, and cracked bark. You should also observe and note the conditions of the tree and landscape and whether there have been many stresses that have impacted the tree (drought, compacted soil, injuries, etc.) and made it favorable for tree borers to take over, as they rarely infest healthy trees.

Treatment

If you have confirmed that tree borers are infesting your tree and wish to try to salvage it, you must conduct a treatment using professional products.

We recommend first using a contact insecticide such as Sylo Insecticide on the tree trunk, limbs, and bark to kill any active borers inside the tree. This pyrethroid delivers a quick knockdown of insects on trees.

Once the active borers have been killed off, we recommend applying Dominion 2L via soil treatment around the tree to protect against tree borer damage and reduce the likelihood of future infestations. Dominion 2L is a systemic insecticide, which means the product is absorbed through the roots and the entire tree to control tree borers.

Step 1: Sylo Insecticide Treatment

Sylo Insecticide is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide containing the active ingredient cyclomethrin. It serves as a good contact insecticide that can prevent tree borer infestations of infested trees and shrubs. Timing is crucial, as treating trees early on in an infestation is best to attack the newly hatched tree borer larvae before they begin tunneling into the bark.

Measure the treatment area's square footage to help determine how much Sylo Insecticide you need to mix.

In a sprayer, dilute 0.33 to 0.65 fl. oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. in a volume of water sufficient for uniform coverage, such as 3 to 20 gallons.

Once you have calculated and mixed the appropriate amount of Sylo Insecticide in a sprayer, shake the sprayer well, and you're ready to treat.

Apply over the tree trunks, trigs, and branches on a fan spray setting but not to the point of runoff. If you see any holes or cavities in the wood, spray them directly via a pin stream setting. You want to saturate the openings and contact as many insects as possible.

Step 2: Soil Treatment with Dominion 2L

Once the tree has been treated, we recommend a soil treatment with Dominion 2L. Dominion 2L is a systemic insecticide, meaning that when applied to the soil, it will be taken up into the tree roots and help to control any tree borer pest that tries to burrow or feast on the tree. Measure the diameter of your tree before treating it.

Dilute Dominion 2L at a rate of 0.1 to 0.4 fl. oz. per inch of trunk diameter. So, for example, if your trunk's diameter is 15 inches, you will need to mix 1.5 to 6 fl. oz. of Dominion 2L per 5 gallons of water. Mix it in a sprayer and apply it uniformly as a drench around the base of the tree, directing the application to the root area.

Prevention

After treatment, tree borers should no longer be infesting your tree, but you will need to ensure they do not reinfest. Here are some practices we suggest:

• Replacing the tree. If the tree's damage is extensive, the only way to control the infestation is to remove the whole tree from its roots and replace it with a new one. Replanting a new tree and protecting it with preventive treatments of Sylo Insecticide and Dominion 2L may be the only way to control the damage.
• Mulching around the tree. Place mulch, supplemental water, and fertilizers around the tree. Sometimes, this helps prevent tree borers from harming the tree. This will help control the damage caused by borers. Use proper organic compost and nitrogen-free fertilizers. Clean up all the debris.
• Pruning the trees. It is best to cut off the branches and nearby mulches and grass and cut all the unwanted decayed leaves and branches as short and trim as possible. It will make it unappealing and more difficult for the tree borers to infest a trimmed tree. While pruning cut off the infected branches, the crossed branches and cut the branches laterally 6 inches deep till you reach the disinfected portion of the branch. Dip cloth in alcohol and rub it all over the cuts and trunk it prevents re-infestation from occurring. Plant other flowers during winter to avoid attracting the borers and keep the borers away.
• Sealing with pruning paste. Apply or fill the cuts resulting from pruning with prune paste. A batch of old paint tree antiseptics, petroleum, and diatomaceous earth-based products can all be used as prune paste. Sealing the saps and cuts heals tree wounds more quickly and prevents tree borers from entering inside the trunk to damage it.

Key Takeaways

What are Tree Borers?

• Tree Borers are a destructive group of pests known to destroy wood as adults or lay eggs inside of trees where destructive larvae hatch and burrow and cause damage.

How to Get Rid of Tree Borers

• Using a combination of contact insecticide treatment with Sylo Insecticide and a soil drench treatment of Dominion 2L can help to eliminate tree borers from your tree.

Preventing Tree Borer Reinfestation

• Practice tree maintenance, such as pruning and mulching, to prevent re-infestation. In some cases, when there is extensive damage, it may be better and safer to replace the tree entirely and then use the Sylo Insecticide and Dominion 2L as preventative measures to protect your new tree.
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