Borer holes in Honey Locust tree limbs - Ask Extension
I have a 40-45 year old standard Honey Locust in my back yard and recently had some dead limbs trimmed out. A couple of the limbs had areas of no ba...
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Borer holes in Honey Locust tree limbs #429810
Asked October 03, 2017, 6:42 PM EDT
I have a 40-45 year old standard Honey Locust in my back yard and recently had some dead limbs trimmed out. A couple of the limbs had areas of no bark or loose bark on the top of the limb. There are borer holes in these bare areas and what appear to be "tracks" that are somewhat evident. Over the past couple of summers I've noticed pieces of bark on the ground (approximately 8-10" long) and squirrel activity in the vicinity of the damaged areas. When the limbs were trimmed, I noticed a couple of ear wigs under the loose bark. Several years ago I had aphids in that tree. I kept a piece of limb about 18" long and took some pictures of it.
Larimer County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello,
Since the limbs were dead, it's impossible to tell if the borer holes are secondary (opportunists who came in after the branch died, which happens a lot) or the primary cause of the dieback. Trees will lose limbs for many reasons, but it isn't always due to insects. It can be caused by cultural conditions, environment or temperature. Aphids are usually a cosmetic issue and rarely do they cause long-term damage.
Earwigs take shelter in moist areas that are protected. You'll see them under containers on the porch and they feed on decaying plant material. They are also not the cause of the injury.
If the majority of the tree is healthy with only a few limbs that needed to be removed, I would increase your cultural care of the tree--water regularly the entire year (including fall/winter) and apply a layer of mulch at the base of the tree, not touching the trunk. Doing routine maintenance, like pruning, is a good practice.
Since the limbs were dead, it's impossible to tell if the borer holes are secondary (opportunists who came in after the branch died, which happens a lot) or the primary cause of the dieback. Trees will lose limbs for many reasons, but it isn't always due to insects. It can be caused by cultural conditions, environment or temperature. Aphids are usually a cosmetic issue and rarely do they cause long-term damage.
Earwigs take shelter in moist areas that are protected. You'll see them under containers on the porch and they feed on decaying plant material. They are also not the cause of the injury.
If the majority of the tree is healthy with only a few limbs that needed to be removed, I would increase your cultural care of the tree--water regularly the entire year (including fall/winter) and apply a layer of mulch at the base of the tree, not touching the trunk. Doing routine maintenance, like pruning, is a good practice.
Thank you.
