Bark beetle infestation of tulip tree - Ask Extension
Hello,
my tulip tree (likely over 50 years 0ld) has marks of borer infestation around the base of the tree and up the trunk. Where the bark can be re...
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Bark beetle infestation of tulip tree #875923
Asked July 04, 2024, 12:40 PM EDT
Hello,
my tulip tree (likely over 50 years 0ld) has marks of borer infestation around the base of the tree and up the trunk. Where the bark can be removed, there are signs of channels and sawdust. A stack of fire wood nearby is also infested.
I regret being unable to upload the photos due to limitations in the acceptable format.
Would it be possible for an expert to look at the tree as I am afraid that not only my tree is doomed but that it may attack trees in the area. I am located in Kensington, MD, 20895.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
While Extension doesn't have someone who can perform a site visit, we do recommend you consult with a certified arborist or licensed tree expert who can help to make a diagnosis. They won't be able to treat or cure every condition, but can help determine how stable the tree is currently and if any sources of stress from its surroundings can be addressed.
Borers often attack trees under stress, even if symptoms of that stress aren't yet evident. Common sources of stress that can attract borers include drought, excessive soil moisture (like the very heavy rains we experienced in 2018 and, to a lesser extent, 2019), and damage from storm breakage (or lightning strikes) or excessive pruning. Tulip Poplar are much more tolerant of wet soil than dry (this year and last year's drought might not have started the issue if the borers are well-established, but it isn't helping either), so saturated roots probably aren't a contributing factor in its case. Dead wood (the firewood) usually isn't fed-upon by the same borer species that are drawn to living trees, but we can't rule it out. It may be coincidence that both materials are hosting borers.
Miri
Borers often attack trees under stress, even if symptoms of that stress aren't yet evident. Common sources of stress that can attract borers include drought, excessive soil moisture (like the very heavy rains we experienced in 2018 and, to a lesser extent, 2019), and damage from storm breakage (or lightning strikes) or excessive pruning. Tulip Poplar are much more tolerant of wet soil than dry (this year and last year's drought might not have started the issue if the borers are well-established, but it isn't helping either), so saturated roots probably aren't a contributing factor in its case. Dead wood (the firewood) usually isn't fed-upon by the same borer species that are drawn to living trees, but we can't rule it out. It may be coincidence that both materials are hosting borers.
Miri
