Turpentine Beetles
Turpentine Beetles are a common pest in our area. This application should be done in the spring as a preventative or as a treatment if there’s an active problem. Turpentine Beetles tends to attack stressed and unhealthy pine trees; however, they have also been found to target healthy Japanese Black Pines. Contributing factors could be a combination of environmental factors and/or mechanical.
Environmental:
Drought
Lack of proper nutrients
Leaving old, infected wood on the property
Mechanical:
Construction damage to the root zone
Pruning pines during the growing season thus causing them to drip sap and attract the beetles.
Use of unseasoned pine-based wood chips