Bark beetle treatment in the home and garden: protection and prevention for wood

What harm do bark beetles do

Beetle beetle on a tree.

Bark beetles settle and lay eggs, from which larvae emerge. They do the most damage to trees. With a large amount of wood already falls off, then the plants are destroyed.

Larvae and beetles of some species of bark beetle settle in dry wood, in furniture, in any wooden buildings. They can destroy entire dwellings. On the site, the beetles quickly move from place to place, infecting new trees.

An additional danger of bark beetles is that they carry spores of the fungus. And they, in turn, destroy the wood.

Signs of a bark beetle

Bark beetles are small beetles that live in wood or under bark. Weakened trees are especially susceptible to their attack. Bark beetle larvae are very voracious, and you can notice their appearance in wood by such featured:

1. Small holes appear on the surface of the trunk or branches, brown wood flour appears around them.
   

   Bark beetle on a tree.

2. Branching passages can be seen in the affected areas.
3. Detachment and peeling of the bark.
4. The appearance of woodpeckers in the garden, for which the bark beetle is a "delicacy".

If such problems are found, you must immediately begin the fight against beetles.

Methods of struggle

In addition to preventive spring and autumn treatments of trees, special impregnations and traps help in the fight against this dangerous pest.

Chemicals

In case of mass infections, chemical preparations are considered the best, most of which act on beetles, larvae and pupae. When working with chemicals, it is necessary to wear personal protective equipment: gloves, goggles, a respirator, a gown.

Biological remedies

Folk remedies

Folk remedies are effective at the initial stage of bark beetle infection:

• to fight the bark beetle, which settled on the trees, use a mixture of kerosene and turpentine (1/3), the mixture is injected with a syringe into the holes made by the beetles;
  

  bark beetle

• hot drying oil is used to process dry wood. It impregnates the product before painting;
• the bark beetle is destroyed by scalding dry wood with boiling water;
• salt solution, machine oil are also used as impregnation.

Preventive measures

By following preventive measures, you can protect trees and wooden products from bark beetle invasion.

In the garden

1. To prevent the appearance of bark beetles in the garden, you need to regularly inspect the trunks and branches for holes.
2. Preventive spring garden treatments, pruning, whitewashing trunks.
3. Good care: feeding, watering, protecting trees from harmful insects, will help the tree resist the attack of the pest. Bark beetle settles on weakened trees.

When buying and storing wood

Bark beetle larvae cope with the boards very quickly, so when buying and storing, you need to follow a number of rules:

• store boards and logs without bark, since most often bark beetles start up under it;
  

  Beetle beetle.

• when buying materials, check for the presence of bark beetles;
• store in a dry and clean place;
• carry out preventive treatment before storage;
• if damage is found, treat the wood, or, in extreme cases, in case of severe damage, burn it.

If there is no certainty that the bark beetle population has been completely destroyed, it is better to call in specialists who are guaranteed to cope with all individuals.

Conclusion

The bark beetle is a dangerous pest of trees. Preventive measures will help prevent the appearance of bark beetle. At the slightest suspicion of the presence of this pest in the garden or on dry wood products, start fighting it with all available methods. In the initial stages, folk remedies will be effective, but in difficult cases, chemicals will help.