tree diseases and the symptoms to watch for

2 Pests That Can Infest A Red Pine Tree

2 August 2016

Wesley Perry

The red pine tree has a narrower, more conical shape than bushier pine varieties and offers more interesting coloring. From the dark green needles to the tan-gray bark on the lower tree and the orange-red bark on the upper tree, the red pine tree offers visual interest to homeowners year-round. Keep your ornamental tree looking its best and brightest by monitoring the tree for signs of an insect infestation. Don't worry; a tree services company or pest control service can usually prevent any serious damage if notified early enough in the infestation.

What are some of the common insects that affect the red pine tree?

Saratoga Spittlebug

The adult Saratoga spittlebug is a winged insect with a long body with tan and white colorations that act as camouflage against the tree bark. Unlike many other tree insects, which damage the tree in the larvae stage, the spittlebug causes the damage in its adult form.

The adults feed on the tree's nutrients and initially cause signs of general dieback including needles darkening and falling from the tree and weak twigs also falling from the tree. Continued feeding can result in twigs having deformed shapes and patches of the tree looking bare of needles even during the growing season.

Saratoga spittlebugs often die out after harsh winter conditions. If the pests survive the winter, a tree care service or pest control service can nip the problem with the application of herbicides. Why an herbicide for an insect? The spittlebug relies on other plants alongside the red pine in order to complete its growth cycle. Using a herbicide to do away with those other plants effectively kills off the spittlebugs.

Red-Headed Pine Sawfly

The adult sawfly is a reddish-black to black insect with four wings. The adults lay white translucent eggs in the bark of the red pine, which later hatch to small worm-like creatures with a brown body and a red head. Young red pine trees or older trees already in poor health stand at the greatest risk of severe sawfly damage, which mostly occurs as the larvae eat through healthy tree material to gain sustenance.

The infestation causes the pine's needles to turn reddish-brown as the larvae strip nutrients away. This initial damage is often confined to the crown of the tree. The needles will later fall off the tree so the larvae will turn to the branch tissue and potentially cause premature death there.

Your tree care or pest control service can use pesticides to take care of a sawfly problem if the infestation is abundant or your tree falls into one of the high-risk categories. Otherwise, keeping the tree as healthy as possible can help prevent long-term damage due to the sawfly infestation.

For tree services, contact a company such as Tri-Point Tree & Landscaping. 

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