Pests that attack the blossoms, fruits and foliage of the apple tree can usually be identified without any doubt and quite easily due to the damage. The situation is different with beetles that live in the tribe and to which we would like to dedicate this article.
Which beetles settle in the trunk of the apple tree?
TheLarge and small fruit tree bark beetles,whose larvae feed on bark tissue and plant sap, can damage the apple tree so massively that it even dies. Apple tree borers can also become a problem. Black bark burns almost always occur in advance, promoted by dryness.
What does fruit tree bark beetle trunk damage look like?
As early as mid-May, as soon as the temperatures rise above 8 degrees,holes about a millimeter in size appear on the trunk If you carefully loosen the bark, many feeding passages will appear next to the breeding passages. Within a very short time, entire areas of trees die. As a result, the previously vital fruit tree can die.
The fruit tree bark beetle, which is between 2.5 and 5 millimeters large depending on the variant, belongs to the bark beetle family. Due to the dryness of the past summers, they were able to multiply significantly.
What can I do against the fruit tree bark beetle?
First of all, it is important toremove theinfested woodandnot to store it under any circumstances, but toburn it as quickly as possible.
- Discover the bark beetle, check all the trees in the garden.
- As these are relatives of the bark beetle, you will receive a special permit for burning them from your municipality.
- Promote the settlement of birds. Tits, chaffinches, bullfinches and woodpeckers eat fruit tree bark beetles and their larvae.
What does the damage caused by the apple tree borer look like?
On the bark of the cultivated apple (Malus domestica) you will findsmall drill holes,from whichreddish-brown drill dusttypically trickles out. However, these can only be recognized as the larvae increase in size from the second year onwards.
The excursion holes, on the other hand, reach a diameter of almost one centimeter and are therefore hard to miss. The adult beetles of this species of bark beetle, introduced from North America, which primarily attack apple trees, feed on the foliage.
Severe infestation can lead to the death of the fruit trees, which also become susceptible to breakage due to drilling.
Why does black bark burn encourage beetles in the trunk?
This fungal disease, which isforceddue to dryness and lack of nutrients,is aweakness parasite. The Diplodia fungus that causes bark burn lives in plants without any symptoms and is present almost everywhere. It develops particularly quickly at temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees and then becomes very aggressive.
Black spots appear on the bark, and black rot caused by cellulose degradation is clearly visible in the wood itself. Large-scale infestations result in colonization by secondary pathogens and often bark beetles.
Can I prevent beetles in the trunk?
Beetles in the trunk can be preventedonly through proper care:
- Water the apple tree thoroughly and thoroughly during dry periods.
- Provide the fruit tree with a suitable fertilizer in March or April.
Tip
Prune apple trees regularly
Pruning is one of the essential care measures from the second year onwards at the latest. As a result, the apple not only produces more fruit, thinning out the branches also contributes to plant he alth. Take this opportunity to check the trunk for any pests.