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Sequoia Top Dieback in Bakersfield Heat: Insect or Disease

6 sequoias (30 ft) in Bakersfield, CA. One on west side shows reddish-brown branches from wall top up. Base green. Others healthy.

Diagnosis

Localized top death on one tree rules out environment (heat, wall). Likely:

Stem-boring insect (weevil, borer)
Canker disease at upper trunk

Action

Cut dead top at green cambium.
Lateral branch will become new leader (slight crook).
Monitor others—isolated incident suggests random attack, not epidemic.

Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) tolerate heat well. Single-tree top kill = biotic agent.

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