Question
I have a pine tree that grows next to a brook.Recently I noticed that the clown lost all its needles to about 1/4 way down.Is this a sign that the tree is dying and is there any way to stop it.

Answer
I think you are saying that the top of the pine tree is dead (lost all it needles 1/4 way down). It will depend on how much foliage is left. Loosing 1/4 of the foliage the tree can survive and over time a side branch will become the new top but you will have a crook in the trunk where this happens. It will also depend on the size and age of the tree. Young trees will recover much better than old mature pines. It more than likely was either a lightning strike or an insect more than likely a weevil that attacked the top. This will not spread down to the rest of the trunk.

IF there are small blobs of pitch on the top trunk than this is a bark beetle called an engraver and these can spread down the trunk and kill the tree. You should see these small about the size of a pencil eraser on the trunk. If none are seen then it is not bark beetles.

If you can reach the top I would go ahead and cut the dead pert off this will keep it from falling later and damaging the rest of the branches.

I would spray the trunk as high as you can reach with an insecticide called Onyx. This will kill any insect in the bark and prevent them from moving down the trunk. Check with your local nursery for this product.