Southern pine beetle in Huntsville yards

Southern pine beetles and Ips engraver beetles can kill a yard pine quickly, and Alabama Cooperative Extension treats an active tree in a landscape as something to deal with right away.

The signs

• Pitch tubes. Small white to reddish blobs of resin on the main trunk that often look like popcorn.
• Boring dust. Fine reddish dust in the bark crevices or around the base of the tree.
• Needle color. Needles fade from yellow to red to brown, often starting at the top of the tree.
• Exit holes. Pin-sized holes in the bark once a brood has left the tree.

Southern pine beetle commonly attacks loblolly, shortleaf and Virginia pine, but it can attack most southern pines. Ips beetles usually go after trees already weakened by storms, drought or logging, though they can kill many trees in drought years.

How fast it moves

• The blue stain fungus the beetles carry can kill a tree quickly, often within 1 to 2 weeks.
• Death typically follows 4 to 6 weeks after symptoms become noticeable.
• A brood develops in about 18 to 25 days, then leaves through pin-sized holes, a sign to check the pines nearby.
• Pine bark beetles are most active from May through October.

What Extension advises for yard pines

For a tree with Ips engraver beetles or southern pine beetles, the urban forestry guide says to remove the tree immediately and grind the stump. Pines within 20 yards of an actively infested tree are at the greatest risk, and chemical treatments can protect neighboring pines, especially stressed ones; Extension recommends a professional applicator for that. Prevention comes down to mulching, avoiding damage to trunks and roots, removing broken limbs, and keeping vehicles off the ground under the canopy.

The statewide picture

The Alabama Forestry Commission described 2024 as an epidemic year, with almost 5,000 southern pine beetle spots identified and an average of 191 pine trees killed per spot, the highest count in 23 years. Fourteen counties had more than 100 spots; Madison County wasn't among them. The Commission's local offices are listed under "Contact Us" on its website.

Next steps

A beetle-killed pine usually becomes a removal followed by stump grinding. If several pines are involved, ask the contractor about the trees within that 20-yard ring too.