Pine Beetles: Remove Infested Trunks, But Chips Are Safe for Mulch

Trunks with beetles must go—left on site, they hatch and attack nearby trees. Spraying doesn't guarantee kill.

Good News

Shredded limbs/chips are safe. Beetles prefer trunks, not limbs. Chippers destroy any in bark.

Use the mulch. Remove the trunks.

About Gardening: Pine Bark Beetles in Alabama: Prevention via Tree Vigor—Contact Extension for Local Advice; Small Black Beetles on Ornamental Cherry: Organic Options Spinosad or Neem; Using Shredded Pine Cones as Mulch; Choosing the Best Mulch: Pine Bark, Pine Straw, or Compost?; Protecting Loblolly Pines from Bark Beetles in Houston; Pine Beetle Pitch Tubes: Identify the Borer; Controlling Daisy Beetles on Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans; After Pine Beetle Kill: Remove Tree Fast, Spray Neighbors, Don't Store Wood; What’s Gnawing My Pine Tree? Identifying Southern Pine Beetle Damage; Pine Bark Beetle Identification: Species, Attack Patterns, and Prevention

Garden Articles

Plants