Bugs that eat and kill Evergreens

[DRH1175]

I have a row of Evergreen mostly norway, scotch, and red Pine That are slowly dying off. I have lost about 3 or 4 a year for the last 4 years. They are about 10 yr old trees about 15' tall. I have found worm holes in them after cutting them down. I am not sure if they are the cause of the die off or after the fact. I was wondering if anyone knows what is causing this to happen? I want to replant but not if they will die off again. It is not from lack of water since this has happend last year with all the rain and the year before when it was dry.

[RIPN LIPS]

there is a mite that burrows into the new growth of the pine bows and kills the bows. when the bows are dead there little coccon looking thing at the end of the bow looks like a dried up acron. my neighbor had this problem i'll try to get you the name of the mite and the chemical they used to kill it..

[Spearing Machine]

It may have do due with a couple different factors:

1. Soil moisture: either has become too wet or dry

2. Soil nutrients have for some reason been altered (have you had the sol tested?)

3. I know that scotch pine is prone to getting pine wilt disease and they possibly be able to get the pine nematode.

4. It may be none of these and it may take a certified DNR forester or similar forester to check out the trees and give you some advice.

[RIPN LIPS]

the mite i was referring to is call a "gull' and they used Sevin to repell them. it seemed to work

[Powerstroke]

ripnlips is referring to a gall. Gals are not mites, they are the formation created when the mite burrows in and creates a "home" for their eggs.

Borers are not usually the cause of the failure of the tree, but contribute to it. I would be checking for other things first. Borers tend to attack weaker trees.

[Tom7227]

Contact a tree guy and ask them. That's too many really nice trees to be losing, and you have to get the correct answer. U of M Extension - contact them and see what they can tell you, or where you should take a sample or some pics or something to get it nailed down.

[croixflats]

I would do what Tom said first

but I'll put my to cents in.

Could be watering issues. Sometimes with pine trees it can take a few years to show the effects of a stressful year. When pine is stressed from lack of water it can be more vulnerable to insects and diseases. A good thing to do in the early spring is to douse the tree with a recommended mixture of Horticultural oil(also known as dormant oil) and water. This goes for flowering trees also.

If ‘dormant oil’ is recommended, apply just before either leaves or flowers show signs of swelling or breaking open. You don’t want to apply too early though, since the insects need to be active and breathing, in order to be affected.