Pine wilt is a very serious problem here in Missouri and the rest of the mid-Western United States. Pine wilt is a tree disease that generally affects Scots pines, as well as Austrian, jack, mugo, and red pines, as well as white pines in a few rare cases.
The disease is generally caused by pinewood nematodes, which are microscopic worm-like creatures that feed on living plant cells that surround the resin canals of pines. These nematodes move through the pine with the help of other insects like the pine sawyer beetle by burrowing into the tracheae of adult pine sawyer beetles, according to Sustainable Urban Landscapes. As the pine sawyer beetles move through to the surface of a tree, it carries lots of nematodes with it as it travels to feed on healthy pine trees. Once there, the damage of pine wilt begins.
As the pine sawyer beetles feed on the twigs of healthy pine trees, entry points are created and the nematodes enter the healthy tree. If the tree is susceptible to pine wilt, the pinewood nematodes will multiply and travel throughout the resin canals of the tree very rapidly in warm weather. This damages the tree’s resin canal and clogs the tree’s water moving system, which will in time cause the resin flow to stop, leading to wilt symptoms and ultimately causing the tree to die.
Because pine wilt can spread easily and quickly, it’s important to take action if you discover your tree has been infected. Trees that have died due to pine wilt should be cut and burned, buried, or chipped as soon as possible.
If you suspect that a pine in your yard has been infected with pine wilt, you can contact Cartwright Tree Care. We can safely remove the tree, as well as offer preventative treatments to prevent pine wilt from affecting other trees in your yard.
Photo credit: Kansas Department of Agriculture.