What To Do if You Suspect an Outbreak
Injury from one type of problem can look similar to another, to the untrained eye. It may be hard to tell at a glance whether you’re dealing with damage from drought, an insect borer, or a fungal canker. Collecting samples of tree damage and any associated pests is important in accurately identifying the problem, which may have more than one cause.
Take pictures and notes on your trees’ symptoms, and talk to local forest experts for help in identifying the causes. Often pictures are enough for an expert to identify the problem. If you discover an insect that you suspect might be a danger to your trees, seal it in a container and store it in the freezer until you can deliver it to a proper authority.
How you respond to a pest depends on what exactly is causing the damage. You may need to use pesticides or cut down the affected trees. You may need to burn the affected trees or take out more trees to create a buffer zone. An expert can help you figure out what to do next.
Find Out More
- Visit our Make it Healthy section to learn about Southern Pine Beetle, Integrated Pest Management and using Pesticides properly
- Find a forest expert
- Cooperative Extension System
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