Ambrosia Beetle Damage Treatment

Ambrosia Beetles affect many ornamental, fruit, and nut trees. If a tree is already under stress or weak, these beetles may quickly attack it. The damaged bark or trunks serve as common entry points. So, to prevent the spread of diseases, mitigation of tree stress is crucial. This requires conducting regular assessments of tree health to identify stressors and vulnerabilities. This helps to put together effective prevention measures.

An Ambrosia Beetle is about 2 to 3 millimeters in length, yet is a significant threat to over 100 species of deciduous trees in California. While initially introduced to the Southeastern United States, their spread has become nationwide.

A single host plant infested by beetles can harbor up to a hundred beetle species. When female beetles create their galleries within the wood, they emit strands of boring dust, perplexing the symptoms of infestation and damage.

Even wind, rain, and storms make these strands delicate. It can thus create pencil-lead-sized holes. As female beetles multiply, they form tunnels into the trees that cause damage. They are also a carrier of fungus to the host wood. A significant symptom appears only after the damage becomes severe. The spread of pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium wilt often accompanies it. At this stage, Ambrosia beetle removal treatment is imperative.

Female ambrosia beetle bores into the trunks and branches of young and matured trees of your landscape. The beetle introduces a fungus, which clogs the transport vessels. The fluids are disrupted throughout the tree as the fungus grows within the xylem.

Ambrosia beetles are destructive to trees, no matter what a tree’s maturity or health. As there are limited control options to mitigate the problem, it is essential to understand and implement the available options as required.

Use of insecticides is one solution. However, it must be tailored to infected tree species. Further, professional assistance helps control Ambrosia beetles through accurate treatment. They will go till the root cause, which invites infestation and disease.

During severe infestations, professionals conduct a complete inspection of all infected trees. Trunk and soil are injected to inhibit further growth. They will exercise caution when using fungicides around trees infested by Wood Boring Insects, Shot Hole Borers and Ambrosia Beetles.