Question
I have a large Calpata Tree in my front yard and some of the bark is falling off. Under a loose piece we found black beetles.  How do I get rid of them and will they kill my tree?  Please help


Thanks Debbie Stivers

Answer
It is more than likely a Borer --I would guess the Bronze Birch borer. The bronze birch borer, Agrilus anxius, is a severe pest of white or paper birch, especially cultivated or stressed trees. Early symptoms include sparse foliage and chlorotic leaves in the upper crown, followed by twig and branch dieback from the top down. With successive years of attack, the tree becomes progressively weaker until it is killed.

Dead or dying limbs will have numerous D-shaped adult exit holes, each about the size of a BB shot. Adult bronze birch borers are slender, olive-bronze beetles about ?inch long. Adults begin emerging and laying eggs in mid-May. Native white-barked birches (e.g., Betula papyrifera, B. populifolia) are somewhat less susceptible than European white birch (B. pendula) and other exotic birches.

To prevent and control infestations, spray susceptible trees twice at 3-week intervals, beginning about the time of first bloom of Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum), little-leaf linden (Tilia cordata), tree lilac (Syringa reticulata), or northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa).
Chenk with your local garden/ nursery type store for an insecticide for Borers. Just spray the trunk area where the damage is located.