Pine Tree Disease
Pine Tree Diseases are in the process of depleting the urban forest and Tree Canopy in Des Moines, Iowa. A drive down I35 south of Hickman or a Sunday drive through West Des Moines will show you clusters of dead pine trees at every turn.
Pine Wilt Disease.
It is the hardest to diagnose but yet the quickest to kill a pine tree.
Many who live in Iowa have bought into the belief that “Pines are Doomed” and to not even bother trying to save them. Part of this is due to online information that is confusing and or outright false.
False
- There is nothing you can do. (We have very good treatments and consulting for pine wilt)
Confusing
- Does your pine tree have wilt, tip blight, adelgid, pine moth or abiotic stress?
This is where the Arboriculturist Olson Tree Care in West Des Moines can help. We have documented a few things to look for on your pine tree in Iowa. Olson Tree Care does have treatments available and also provide paid Consultation should you be within our service area.
Pine Wilt and Pine Diseases in Iowa
Pine Wilt
Pine Tree Chlorosis
Dead Pine Trees are preferred egg laying sites for Pine Sawyer Beetles.
The dead, dying pine tree is the preferred egg laying environment for the Pine Sawyer Beetle.
Pine Sawyer Beetle Host.
The first sign of Pine Wilt is yellowing of your pine tree.
Olson Tree Care has found some trees in this condition and despite online information, have returned them to normal tree vitality.
Dead Pine Tree
Pine Sawyer Beetle Frass
Pine Sawyer Beetle Holes
Identifying Damage from the Pine Sawyer Beetle.
This is some actual photographic evidence of holes and frass Olson Tree Care collected of Pine Sawyer beetle damage in Urbandale, Iowa.
Pine Sawyer Beetle
The Pine Sawyer Beetle that causes Pine Wilt will be hard to see and the male and female look different. Beside is the female and the male would be bigger with less variation in color.
Pine Sawyer Beetle
Pine Sawyer Beetle
Cross-section of Pine Sawyer Beetle Damage
Pine Sawyer Beetle Foraging
Spreading the Pine Wilt nematode
Pine Sawyer Beetles deposit the Pine Wilt nematode in 2 ways. 1 by feeding on the needles and the other by egg laying. The needle feeding is the most common way that your pine tree will be infected and the cross section picture shows the results of egg laying.
Zimmerman Pine moth and Pine Bark Adelgid.
There are 2 other populations that may effect your pine tree in Iowa. Both having chemical controls different than Pine Wilt and if done professionally and timely the success rate high.
Zimmerman Pine Moth
Pine Bark Adelgid
Diplodia Tip Blight
Diplodia tip blight (fungus Sphaeropsis sapinea) is a common disease for scotch and Austrian pine trees that is evidenced by stunted tip growth that quickly dies back. Often the dieback continues down the stem with cankers developing.
The fungal pathogen is contact spread and through Sterilization (in combination with fungicide applications) it is possible to control the spread when techniques are correctly implemented by a trained professional.
Diplodia Tip Blight
Pine Wilt and Disease in Iowa
Online research can be confusing and we hope that this information provided by the Des Moines Arborist at Olson Tree Care helps save your pine tree. Do not be fooled by articles claiming that the native white pine is resilient to pine wilt. A large Pine Sawyer Beetle population will kill them as well and reading articles online may make you think they are resistant.
We have found the only benefit to native White Pine Trees in Iowa is that Pine Wilt does not kill them as quickly.
The Arborist at Olson Tree Care believes that no tree should be thrown away and that the City of Des Moines should be ashamed of themselves for setting a poor example by encouraging Tree Services in Des Moines to cut down perfectly good ash trees. Research always bears out a different outcome than the one first concluded by societal inclinations.
In the case of Pine Wilt the conclusion was that Pine Trees in Iowa are doomed and the outcomes will be that preservation of our trees is possible with the latest techniques applied by the Leading Tree Service in Des Moines like the one at Olson Tree Care.