When You Have an Outbreak

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Pine decline may look unseemly, but it's not a real short term problem.

Credit: Steven Katovich, USDA, Bugwood.org

What you do about pine decline depends on what you want to get out of your woods. Once trees have symptoms of pine decline, they are going to die, but it could take them as long as 10 years to do so. In the meantime, they might not look very nice, with their sparse crowns, but they won't necessarily cause problems, either.

If you plan to sell the wood, you'll need to cut the trees down before they die. If you're managing for wildlife, you can ignore pine decline for longer.

A local extension agent or forester can help you work out your goals for your woods, including how to respond to pine decline.

Learn what to do to prevent pine decline on your land.