Pine trees naturally release sap and can release sap due to pruning, wounding or attack by insects or disease.

If your tree is only releasing sap due to occasional storm damage, then this should not be a worry. Sap can flow particularly strong in wet years, such as this year.

However, if you are seeing sap at other times, it might be due to disease or pests. To determine this you can look for presence of sawdust, small holes in the bark, or sap leaking from a single place in the bark. Some pest infestations can cause the sap to look like popcorn, or a have a pinkish tint. Certain diseases can also cause white patches of dry resin. If you detect any of these issues, then please send us photos and we will help identify the problem.

Please refer to the pictures provided to see the sap coming from the trees. Are these good enough to diagnose the issue?

I am out of town and will respond Monday.

It is hard to tell from the photos. The needle drop I see is likely natural, as pines do drop needles in the fall. There is definitely a significant wound on the one branch. It looks like it is healing.

But since the sap seems to be coming from multiple areas, I would recommend you take a closer look at the tree.

Look for small bore holes in the bark. If you see some, you might have bark beetles. Look around the place where the sap is leaking, including the wounded branch.


Excessive sap can also result from cankers, dead spot on the pine caused by fungi growing under the bark.Cankers can be sunken areas or cracks.
Click here for a photo: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/cankers-on-trees.htm While there are no chemical treatments to control canker, but you can help the tree by pruning out affected branches if you catch it early.

From the photos it is hard to see the detail needed to determine if you have a problem. You might want to contact your local extension office and see if an officer or master gardener can come out to take a look at the tree.