Knowledgebase
Pine Tree Beetle? #762706
Asked July 19, 2021, 9:56 PM EDT
Dear MSU:
Yesterday I cut down a dead limb from one of my tall pine trees at my house.
After cutting the limb into smaller sections to fit into my burn barrel, I noticed that one of had a swarm of insects crawling all over it and the same section had bore holes in each (both visible in the attached image). Even after dragging 50 yards they were still attached and did not seem to fly.
Any clue what these are exactly and would they be the cause of the dead limb?
Washtenaw County Michigan
Expert Response
The insects are called barklice (Insect Order: Psocoptera). They feed on lichen, fungi, or other organic matter. They are not harmful to the tree in any way. The limb must have died for some other reason. Depending on how long the limb was dead, the bore holes could be from one of the many insects that attack dead wood. I would recommend that you trace the dead limb back to the trunk and look for signs of damage to the trunk or the base of the branch.
