What does a bark beetle look like: 7 species of beetles, tree pests
There are a large number of species of beetles in nature, they are found almost everywhere. Some of them are carnivores, some are vegetarians, and eat only plant foods. Bark beetles gnaw their passages under the bark of trees, some individuals live in grass stalks. There are bark beetles that live in the fruits and seeds or tubers of plants.
Content
What does a bark beetle look like: photo
Description of bark beetles
Name: Bark beetles
Latin: ScolytinaeClass: Insects - Insecta
Squad: Coleoptera - Coleoptera
Family: Weevils - Curculionidae
 | Habitats: | trees and wooden buildings |
 | Dangerous for: | wooden surfaces, buildings |
 | Means of destruction: | folk, woodworking, mechanical collection |
Bark beetles.
The body of a bark beetle in length can be from 1 mm to 8 mm, in the tropics there are "giants", up to 15 mm long. It is brown or black in color, with short legs and antennae on a small head.
On the back of the body there is a notch for pushing out waste products. Females and males differ in the structure of the forehead, in males it is flat or concave. These beetles live and breed on coniferous or deciduous trees, some live under the bark, some in wood, there are bark beetles that live only in the roots.
Distribution and nutrition
About 750 species of bark beetles are described in the world, 140 different species live in Europe. They are found in those areas where the species of trees in which they live grow and some species settle in dried trees.
Reproduction
The bark beetle gets inside, making an inlet in the bark and making its way to the vital tissues of the tree. The female makes passages and lays up to 80 eggs in the uterine passages.
Life cycle of the bark beetle.
There, a month later, larvae appear from the eggs, they are legless in bark beetles, white or yellowish-white. They move using callus-like pads. Mature larvae pupate.
The pupae have wings and antennae tightly pressed to the body. The young beetles that have appeared through the passages that the larvae have gnawed go outside to mate and feed. Distinctive features of each species and their habitat.
Common types of bark beetle
Signs of a bark beetle infection
Bark beetles cause a lot of damage to trees. They are small in size, but traces of their presence can be seen:
- on the bark there may be small holes covered with resin or brown wood flour;
- the appearance of a woodpecker in the garden may indicate the presence of bark beetles;
- the presence of holes of different sizes on the trunks may mean that the beetles settled, bred offspring, and young individuals left the habitat.
Each type of bark beetle leaves its own specific pattern under the bark, on the trunk.
How to fight
Bark beetles have an excellent sense of smell, so they determine their prey. They prefer plants
- with cracks in the bark;
Bark beetle larva.
- transplanted to a new place;
- with weakened roots;
- wounds.
The fight should be comprehensive, it will be necessary to strengthen the health of the tree and fight the pest at the same time.
Beetle penetration sites need to be cleaned to assess the extent of the infestation. In the course of the beetle, some push through a metal wire to pierce the beetle.
This includes cleaning the affected areas and sealing wounds with garden pitch. A good way to make baits is to place split logs on the site, bark beetles will immediately settle on them, then it’s easier to burn the whole generation.
Insecticides are used for spraying, beetles will get out into the wild and fall under the influence of drugs. Processing is carried out several times.
These substances affect stem pests at any stage of development.
The link can be found with 12 ways to deal with bark beetle.
preventive measures
Tree care can prevent bark beetle infestations.
- Annual pruning of dry diseased branches.
- Whitewashing trunks with lime.
- The use of chemicals for the treatment of trees during the flight of beetles.
- Making traps from freshly cut trees, cut into small pieces. They can be laid out in different parts of the garden, the beetles will choose them for breeding. After the settlement of bark beetles, the traps must be burned.
- To attract birds, they will be happy to feed on a variety of parasites that can settle in the garden.
Conclusion
Bark beetles are dangerous pests of gardens and forests. Preventive measures, and if pests are detected, timely treatment will give a good result. It is also important to pay attention to your homes, because there are types of bark beetles that damage buildings. In these cases, methods of prevention are also applicable.
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