Help with white pines

[avguy]

Hello to all. This is a great site.

If I can I'd like to get some opinons/advise on an issue I'm having with some white pine trees.

We moved into our new home last fall. It has approximately 50 or so mature white pines down one side of the property. In the last year I have lost 3. I assumed it might be from the drought (East Tennessee) buit I don't really know.

Can anyone tell from these pictures what might be wrong?

Thanks. Scott

 

[S Mc]

Do you see any indications further up where the resinosis might be orginating from? We would be looking for a swelling to indicate a canker or the start of the resin or possibly pitch tubes to indicate insect activity.

How close are those power lines? Can the tree touch them if the wind comes up?

With the needles drooping, this generally indicates or at least is an indicator of a compromised vascular system or something that has damaged the root system.

Where were the other trees that died in relation to this tree?

If you see anything else, please take more pictures, if you don't mind.

Thank you.

Sylvia

 

[JackD_ME]

Looks like BB gun damage, or Bear or Bobcat clawings.
Could be woodpeckers too.

Something is damaging the bark but your pics don't show what...

 

[avguy]

Sorry it took me so long to reply...they're making me work for a living this week

The pines line one side of the property (2 acres) front to back. The one in the picture does have insect holes in it. It looked pretty weak last fall but I didn't notice any insects or sap? at that time. Thought maybe the bugs just attacked a weak tree? The picture is a little misleading as it does not really get that close to the power lines.

Another pine (about 100ft from the 1st one) just died over the winter. No sap, insects, just died. It looked fine last fall.
I have one more at the bottom of the property that is looking a lot like the one in the picture but it doesn't have any bore holes or sap. It just looks weak.

As I said these pines line the property on one side and they really are beautiful. They were planted 13 years ago when the home was built. I would hate to think I would lose any more.

Thanks again fort your help. Scott

 

[S Mc]

White pines are supposed to be resistant to the pine wilt nematode however some of the symptoms you are describing sound typical of this pest. I hope someone more familiar with this problem chimes in; however, my resources say that a diagnostic for this is to soak a small block of wood from near the trunk of infected tree overnight in water (or at least 1 hr). Observe the water under a 10 power scope or hand lense. You should see the nematodes swimming in the water.

This would at least confirm or rule out this particular problem. With pine wilt nematode the trees "suddenly" die much as you described your other tree. Blue stain fungus is usually present in the tree. Do you remember if the tree that came out had staining into the heartwood? Another sign with the nematode is that sap flow halts...is this tree still oozing?

The copious amounts of resin in this tree pictured suggests the possibility of a pitch canker. So if you could get further pictures up to where the resin starts would be helpful.

With the tree that died, did you keep the wood?

Sylvia

 

[Toddppm]

Probably some kind of bark beetles. See link- this one is for CA but basically the same in most places, not much hope of saving the trees once they show signs of infestation. Alot of White Pines are getting killed around here too.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7421.html

 

[avguy]

I took a few more pictures. It looks as though there is some type of insect boring into the tree.

This photo shows the trees lining the drive. You can see the one at the bottom of the drive on the left side has the same issues as the tree in the original post. That tree is just to the right of where I took this picture.

The infected trees are not really near each other. Here is a close up of the first tree but they both have the same bore holes.

Here you can see the saw dust created by the bugs.

Any thoughts? Thanks again.....Scott