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Loblolly Pine Bark Loss at Base: Borer Damage, Not Fusiform Rust

Diagnosis

Bark falling off with holes in wood = borer infestation (likely Ips or Dendroctonus beetles) entering through a wound. Not fusiform rust (no galls/swelling).

Action

Spray lower trunk with Onyx (bifenthrin) or Merit (imidacloprid) to kill borers and prevent spread.
Repeat in 3–4 months if new sawdust/holes appear.
Fertilize with 10-10-10 (1 lb per inch trunk diameter) to boost vigor.

Tree will compartmentalize wound over time.

Plant Diseases: Pine Tree Yellowing Needles and White Sudsy Substance: Insect Identification; Weeping Cherry Sap Ooze and Trunk Split: Borer or Freeze Injury; Black Trunk on Quaking Aspen: Need Photos for Diagnosis; Pine Tree Mortality Spread: Professional Diagnosis Urgently Needed; White Foam at Pine Tree Base After Storm: Likely Ambrosia Beetle Dust; Gall Rust on Pine: Identification, Pruning, and When to Call a Forester; Pine Top Dieback: Leader Loss, Weevil vs. Beetle Diagnosis, and Recovery; Orange Powder on Pine Trunk: Fusiform Rust, Not Lawnmower Damage; Pine with Black Sooty Mold on Needles: Scale Insect Infestation; Pine Tree Oozing Yellow Pitch: Dioryctria Moth Borer

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