All You Need to Know About Carpenter Worms
Are branches from your healthy trees suddenly falling? It could be due to an infestation of carpenter worms.
A Carpenter worm is a wood-boring insect that causes a lot of damage to some species of ornamental and fruit trees. These worms feed within the tree’s inner bark, and you may begin to notice dark sap spots on the trunk of the trees.
These worms can cause extensive damage to trees, making them weak and vulnerable on windy days. They also interfere with the flow of nutrients in the tree and may introduce disease organisms to the tree.
Although the worms attack trees and chew the tree trunks, they don’t kill the trees. The more significant threat is the small insects attacking after and spreading disease-causing organisms.
Life Cycle Of Carpenter Worms
Adult female carpenter worms lay eggs in clusters in tree bark, and since they cannot fly far, they tend to lay eggs on the trees where they emerged.
The eggs hatch into larvae that begin to bore into the sapwood, where they mature and bore into the heartwood.
The larvae take about 2 to 4 years to mature into pupa completely. Adult moths emerge from the pupa, and soon after, they mate.
How to Check For Carpenter worms in Your Trees
Carpenter worms eat into the tree, leaving a hollow tunnel. Initial infestations are harder to notice, but with time, you will begin to see;
- Dark sap spots on the tree
- Holes on the tree
- Sawdust from the holes
Control and Prevention of Carpenter Worms
To prevent infestation, give your trees proper cultural care and irrigation to keep them vigorous. Protect them from injuries, too, and if you notice any infestation, have an Arborist inspect the trees.
They will control the infestation using the following methods;
- Removing infested branches
- Removing the entire tree if the infestation is widespread.
- Advice on biocontrol using nematodes which are very effective in controlling these worms
- Spraying the tree trunks with insecticide to prevent fresh attacks
Final Thought
Visit our website to learn more about carpenter worms and how to control them. You can also contact us to request a tree service estimate from our certified Arborist.