oak ( Quercus spp . ) are stately trees that providelarge areasof spectre for the kids to play in or for family get - togethers . They are generally dauntless in U.S. Department of Agriculture flora hardiness zones 2 to 11 , although this varies slimly bet on the mintage . While they are robust , long - lived trees that are not as susceptible to disease and insect attacks as many other tone tree mintage , borer can kill them under certain circumstances . The strategic use of insect powder to forbid severe infestations may save the tree .

Boring Insects

Step 1

Certain metal money of beetle and moths are wearisome insects that tone-beginning oak trees . The serious damage is ordinarily do by larvae tunneling through and eat the wood just beneath the bark , but not always . Twig girdler beetles chew V - form furrows in the barque around oak tree tree branches and branchlet , then rest their testicle in the furrow . The most common signaling of boring insect attacks are wet , cockamamy spots on the barque where the mallet or moth laid its eggs , sawdust - like frass just below the sappy daub , wilt or die branches and small holes where the adult beetles or moths exited the tree diagram .

Boring Insect Damage

Borer damage disrupts the flow of water and nutrients to the percentage of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree beyond where the borer was feed . Some woodborer will attack individual branches , but others will assail the trunk . Branches that have been in earnest damage should be pruned off to forbid them from falling on people below . Do not leave the infested branches near other trees or plants , as the beetles left in them can quickly move on to infest other Tree . Cut them into inadequate sections and enwrap the sections tightly in intemperate clear charge plate . bequeath the wrapped sections in the red-hot sun for several month to kill the dirt ball . If there is serious harm on the trunk of the tree , it will likely break disregardless of the habit of insecticide , and should be remove so that it does not fall on multitude or your house .

Insecticide Treatment for Borers

A light infestation with minimal harm can be treated with insecticide , but the handling must be carefully timed . Insecticide will not defeat the borers beneath the bark . It must be sprayed before the borers lay their ball so as to kill the grownup and interrupt the cycle . The insecticide must be sprayed immediately when an adult borer is seen around the tree . The legal age of oak boring insects can be obliterate by an insect powder carry chlorpyrifos . The insect powder is motley with piddle , pour out into a pressure atomiser and spray on the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree trunk and branch . The dilution charge per unit depends on the insect . For clearwing moth , 2/3 ounce of chlorpyrifos is mixed into 1 gallon of water . For beetles like oak ambrosia or oak barque beetle , 5 1/3 ounce of chlorpyrifos is mix into 1 Imperial gallon of H2O . The insect powder should not be sprayed on a windy day and people and pets must bide aside from the tree until the insecticide is completely ironical . This pesticide can only be purchased and spray by a licenced professional .

Maintaining Oak Tree Health

While boring louse will attack healthy oak tree tree diagram , they ordinarily assail oaks that are stress and unhealthy or have been injured . take good concern of an oak tree can prevent plague or avail the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree pull through after being attacked . During juiceless periods , water the tree every two weeks or so . A ripe oak will need about 10 gallons of water for 20 square metrical foot of crown or canopy . give the H2O evenly over the ground below the leaf and 5 or 6 foot beyond the border of the canopy . Give the oak tree 12 - 6 - 6 , 18 - 6 - 12 or 10 - 8 - 4 Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree fertiliser after the first hard fall frost or just before it begin to farm new leaves in the give . Apply 2 pounds of fertiliser over the soil beneath the leaves and 5 animal foot beyond the edge of the canopy .

References

Article image