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Hey /diy/,
I have a small apple/pear tree orchard in my back yard that recently started losing limbs. Upon closer inspection i saw lots of little holes where the limbs broke which looks like some sort of wood boring insect. I have not seen the insect itself but I live in Wisconsin so termites are unlikely. The non fruit bearing trees seem to be fine. There are a few types of apple/pear specific wood boring insects that i have narrowed it down to but i cant find specific insecticide for them. Is there some sort of broad spectrum insecticide i can use that would work? Anyone here have experience with this? I really dont want to lose the trees and most exterminators around here tell me they only deal with structure infestations.
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>>1051215
No idea why it turned the image sideways. Sorry for being a failure.
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>>1051215
Also i forgot to ask. Should i just wait through winter? Will sub zero F temperatures kill these little bastards? We get some harsh winters here.
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Sub zero temps won't do shit. Even if the insects themselves die their eggs or larva will survive. Call a nursery or good landscape company and ask what kind of systemic pesticide you need to kill them since they're actual trees. Systemics are drawn up through the roots so they arent a super quick solution but they're the best bet. Also ask whoever you call about how to prune Apple/pear trees to limit limb death and the wounds it causes. It will help prevent diseases and pests.
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>>1051223
Thanks for the speedy response. I dont know how much pruning will do because its nearly 1/3rd of the tree breaking off near the trunk.
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>>1051229
Yeah i figured as much. I just want the trees to live.
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>>1051233
If its big scaffold branches like that they need to come out anyway but just know the tree won't look right again and chances are the tree itself is compromised anyway. A systemic would kill any insects but don't expect a miraculous recovery. I would bet that the pear trees are worse for it than the Apple trees. They have a tendency to look really shitty when they get old since they grow pretty fast and have soft wood.
TL;DR Cut the dead limbs out, use a systemic but DO NOT eat any fruit off of them for quite a while, prune to manage new growth if you can, expect them to have a seriously finite lifespan because of damage already done.
Thread posts: 8
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Thread images: 1