Wood eating beetles do exactly as their name describes they eat away at the river birch betula nigra leaving behind a damaged and unhealthy tree.
River birch tree borers.
But healthy trees aren t off.
The four wood boring insects mentioned below attack a wide range of trees.
The bronze birch borer is the most threatening pest of ornamental birch especially white barked varieties and trees under stress.
Early warning signs of damage are a yellowing and thinning of foliage at the upper crown of the tree and d shaped holes in the trunk where the borer larvae have made entry.
River birch is a popular fast growing native tree for the home landscape.
In later stages of infestation the trunk will show d shaped rust stained exit holes.
But as a landscape tree it can be planted almost anywhere in the u s.
Usually native borers like the bronze birch borer seek out trees that are already stressed i e by drought disease or maybe a pruning injury.
Generally the bronze birch borer is the.
This species is resistant to bronze birch borer bbb.
Dark green foliage turns a beautiful buttery yellow in the fall.
A birch infested with bronze birch borer will start showing dieback in the crown increasing in severity as the infestation continues often leading to death of the tree.
The bronze birch borer typically attacks trees which are already stressed or in decline.
The river birch has not yet reached the popularity of many maples and oaks but it is well on its way.