!!mystery Bug!!

[SLlandscape]

I tried searching AS but couldn't come up with anything (unless I missed it). One of my home owners on the mowing route asked me to look at one of his trees for insect damage. This is what I found on one out of 7 trees, all identical but only this one has any visibal damage. The tree itself is in good health and this is 1 of 2 spots on the tree where I found the damage, most of which looks recent. Until yesterday I have not seen any type of "bug". I have 2 pictures of 2 different bugs I found under the bark where I found the damage. I also have a picture of the damage itself and one of a hole bored into the trunk from the insect (I'm assuming). I really want to stop them while the damage is minimal. I'm not totaly sure if one of these is causing what damage I have found so far, so I would greatly appreciate any replies.
The pictures I have are to big to use as attachments on AS so click on the link below where I have posted them, and again thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHB8DE5ojpc

 

[treemandan]

The flat one looks like a variety of sheild bug and trhe other looks like a water bug.
There are tons of online sources to use to finger it out.
I don't think eithe rdid that to that tree though. The black holes look like big bees and the tracks look like a tunneler. Is that hickory?

 

[SLlandscape]

The flat one looks like a variety of sheild bug and trhe other looks like a water bug.
There are tons of online sources to use to finger it out.
I don't think eithe rdid that to that tree though. The black holes look like big bees and the tracks look like a tunneler. Is that hickory?

No, it's not a hickory its a juniper about 20'-25' tall. I brain farted so I can't remember the exact type. the holes are about an 1/8" in diameter and go 1" deep. As I said these are the only bugs I have seen until the day I took those pictures. I climbed into the tree in question but can only find 2 spots where they have tunneled. Obivously this damage is recent, only been there a couple of days. I returned to the tree today and noticed that the damage you see in the picture as lengthened by about 1". What bugs the he11 out of me (no pun intended) is I have checked several times a day and still no actual bug digging the tunnel. If it helps, the tunnels are just below the bark and about a 1/2" wide. I'm hoping somebody can give me any suggestions as to what this is caused by so that I can further research it.
And yes if any one asks, I even went to the extension office and he could not come up with anything either.

P.S. treemandan I used AS, google, and msn to search images and the web to find anything that would help me to determine what the bug is. But it's hard to research something when I can't see it. If you know of any online source that would help please post it. The 2 you mention I saw right where the damage is so I figured it was worth mentioning, but I do agree that neither is probably doing it.

 

[treemandan]

No, it's not a hickory its a juniper about 20'-25' tall. I brain farted so I can't remember the exact type. the holes are about an 1/8" in diameter and go 1" deep. As I said these are the only bugs I have seen until the day I took those pictures. I climbed into the tree in question but can only find 2 spots where they have tunneled. Obivously this damage is recent, only been there a couple of days. I returned to the tree today and noticed that the damage you see in the picture as lengthened by about 1". What bugs the he11 out of me (no pun intended) is I have checked several times a day and still no actual bug digging the tunnel. If it helps, the tunnels are just below the bark and about a 1/2" wide. I'm hoping somebody can give me any suggestions as to what this is caused by so that I can further research it.
And yes if any one asks, I even went to the extension office and he could not come up with anything either.

P.S. treemandan I used AS, google, and msn to search images and the web to find anything that would help me to determine what the bug is. But it's hard to research something when I can't see it. If you know of any online source that would help please post it. The 2 you mention I saw right where the damage is so I figured it was worth mentioning, but I do agree that neither is probably doing it.

In the pic it looked like the holes were made by a 50 caliber slug. The pic was just so big it was hard to get reference as to the real size. It also threw me off looking at what appeared to be big shaggy bark. Nothing like a close up. Hickory has the bark beetle so I thought I was on to something with that.
Most bugs that go for juniper go to the tips although nothing is set in stone. I checked a couple of books I could find in my strewn up office but nothing on anything that would cause that. It possible that one of the bugs that inhabit the tips left its larvae in the bark
a juniper would have to be COVERED in leaf miners or bagworms to die. I am unsure of the complete life cycle of many bugs but I know if you spray them with something they will go away.
Most of my experiance is in making sure what went up comes down safely and keeping the wrecking crew from wrecking to much and fighting to much and doing to many drugs to much and making sure I still have ten fingers at the end of the day.
I don't recall seeing to many bark eaten junipers, it could be I missed it but I still can't find this one book I am looking for.

 

[SLlandscape]

In the pic it looked like the holes were made by a 50 caliber slug. The pic was just so big it was hard to get reference as to the real size. It also threw me off looking at what appeared to be big shaggy bark. Nothing like a close up. Hickory has the bark beetle so I thought I was on to something with that.

Sorry about that, It was a close up, about 5 inches away close up.

That beetle you mentioned what color is it? Because I did see a green beetle today on he tree but did not think much of it.
Thnks for helping.

 

[treemandan]

Sorry about that, It was a close up, about 5 inches away close up.

That beetle you mentioned what color is it? Because I did see a green beetle today on he tree but did not think much of it.
Thnks for helping.

The one bug I thought might be a water bug might be something called a walkingstick. The sheild bug aka stink bug is diferent from the ones we have around here.
Wasps. They do some stuff like you have on your hands and leave.
A green beetle? Bugs change as areas change. I don't know of any green beetle completely green.

 

[SLlandscape]

The one bug I thought might be a water bug might be something called a walkingstick. The sheild bug aka stink bug is diferent from the ones we have around here.
Wasps. They do some stuff like you have on your hands and leave.
A green beetle? Bugs change as areas change. I don't know of any green beetle completely green.

Basically it looks like a lady bug in size and shape, but instead of red and black it's a flourescent green.
Any one else who reads this please reply, I would thank you for doing so.

Man I'm kissing a lot of a$$ for a stupid bug.

 

[SLlandscape]

This bug is really pissing me off! I still can not get an i.d. on it. I tried an insecticidial soap last week but it did not do piddly diddly... bull crapin... hog warted squat, that was wierd. I went back yesterday and it is still munching on the tree. Would dynamite be to much? No, to drastic. Or better yet napalm? Nope, still to much.
:censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: I hate bugs!

 

[BC WetCoast]

Not sure if the size of the boring tunnel is the same, but here is a potential.

Juniper borer
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/resources/health/field-guide/wb/juniper.shtml
or
Black horned juniper borer
http://bugguide.net/node/view/42798/bgimage

The bugs that you had pictures of would not have created those tunnels. They get their nutrition by sucking on leaves. If it was the guilty party, it would be the larvae that do the tunneling.

 

[deeker]

Bugs.

Don't bugs love to go fishing????

 

[SLlandscape]

Not sure if the size of the boring tunnel is the same, but here is a potential.

Juniper borer
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/resources/health/field-guide/wb/juniper.shtml
or
Black horned juniper borer
http://bugguide.net/node/view/42798/bgimage

The bugs that you had pictures of would not have created those tunnels. They get their nutrition by sucking on leaves. If it was the guilty party, it would be the larvae that do the tunneling.

I suspected the 2 I have pictures of at first because when I pulled back the damaged bark that is what I found. So I thought I would check anyway.

 

[SLlandscape]

Not sure if the size of the boring tunnel is the same, but here is a potential.

Juniper borer
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/resources/health/field-guide/wb/juniper.shtml
or
Black horned juniper borer
http://bugguide.net/node/view/42798/bgimage

The bugs that you had pictures of would not have created those tunnels. They get their nutrition by sucking on leaves. If it was the guilty party, it would be the larvae that do the tunneling.

I did some research last weekend and now I'm leaning towards the possibility of the black horned juniper borer. Pictures I have seen match what I'm seeing on the tree in question, but I have still not seen any borers. What puzzles me the most is that they are still active considering night time temps have been in the low 30's and mid 20's for the last 2 weeks. Further more, I still have not caught the s.o.b. in the act of boring. All damage I have noticed so far is just below the surface of the bark (I check it every other day), and continues to go upward on the tree. The 2 holes in the pictures are the only ones have seen as well, I guessing they go back to them at night when temp drops.
I'm still considering napalm for treatment. At least that's what I want to do, but can't.

 

[pdqdl]

I'm not familiar with this bug, and haven't done any research. No time for it.

But...Have you considered how this bug overwinters? Some insects just plain "survive" winter by hiding under the bark, then waking up in the spring to go lay their eggs.

It could be that you will have borers NEXT year.


Or maybe they just haven't yet figured out their life cycle is over, and they are just hiding from the cold for as long as they can.

 

[S Mc]

PDQDL is correct in that you need to know what the life cycle is in order to decide on a management plan.

However, if this is a single tree (which it sounds like) you might want to try spraying something into the hole itself. The problem with borers, and other insects for that matter, is that most everything we use is only effective with contact. Some insects put on a hard shell after the larvae or crawler stage and therefore, it is pointless to try certain sprays on them. Timing is specific.

But if you can inject something into the hole where it will make contact with the larvae...

Sylvia

 

[SLlandscape]

PDQDL is correct in that you need to know what the life cycle is in order to decide on a management plan.

However, if this is a single tree (which it sounds like) you might want to try spraying something into the hole itself. The problem with borers, and other insects for that matter, is that most everything we use is only effective with contact. Some insects put on a hard shell after the larvae or crawler stage and therefore, it is pointless to try certain sprays on them. Timing is specific.

But if you can inject something into the hole where it will make contact with the larvae...

Sylvia

Thanks pdqdl and S Mc for your input. Yes I did try puting some of the insecticidal soap in the hole, a coulple days after I first saw the tree, but it did not work. I also tried a mixture of Dawn dish soap and water in a sprayer last tuesday, so far this is working, I have not seen any new damage since.

Oh, by the way in case your wondering, the youtube channel, that has the pictures I took of the tree, is mine. The videos with the tractors is what I do in the fall. I push corn silage and hmc with some friends of mine to make extra money for buying stuff and it helps with the bills. If anyone is familiar with Braums Ice Cream, we push their silage to. That line of work does have some crazy hours though.

 

[pdqdl]

I'd bet against any good results from an insecticidal soap...

...unless you put some Dursban or Chlordane in it, first! ...or Lindane ...or Methoxychlor ...or DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) ...

:taped: !! I'm JUST KIDDING!! Turn off the flame-throwers !


Insecticidal soaps really are not going to be an effective control choice against almost any adult beetles, and probably not against their larvae, either.

Here is a good article that might help: http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/lpro002/lpro002.htm

 

[SLlandscape]

...unless you put some Dursban or Chlordane in it, first! ...or Lindane ...or Methoxychlor ...or DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) ...

:taped: !! I'm JUST KIDDING!! Turn off the flame-throwers !


Insecticidal soaps really are not going to be an effective control choice against almost any adult beetles, and probably not against their larvae, either.

Here is a good article that might help: http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/lpro002/lpro002.htm

I've used it before so I thought it would work here, but yes it did not. It was meant to get the larvae, if any were around. As I said earlier, so far the dawn dish soap seems to be working. So For now I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[Metals406]

Why does your plight remind me of the gopher in Caddyshack?

 

[SLlandscape]

What the... :jawdrop:





I just looked at my rep and I have gotten quit a bit since yesterday. That's weird.