Flatheaded borers
Buprestidae
1 host plant
Last updated
Flatheaded borers tunnel beneath bark of trees stressed by drought, mechanical injury, or poor growing conditions. You will see sunken areas on trunks and branches with frass and sawdust accumulation. Affected wood becomes discolored and weakened. These beetles attack already-declining trees; they exploit weakness rather than create it.
Maintain tree vigor through proper watering, especially during drought, to prevent stress that attracts borers. Avoid unnecessary wounding and prune branches properly to prevent damage. Remove and destroy infested branches or trees if possible. No chemical control is practical for established infestations. Plant appropriate species for your site to ensure long-term tree health and vigor.
Quick Reference
These flatheaded borers are pests of many different trees and shrubs, including most fruit trees. Adults are metallic, oval and flattened. Flatheaded apple tree borer are greenish bronze-colored and are the larger species, with adults typically measuring 0.35 to 0.63 inch in length. Pacific flatheaded borers are typically the more destructive species in the PNW, and adults are reddish-bronze beetles with copper-colored spots on wing covers, and are about 0.25 to 0.5 inch long. Larvae of both...
Cultural Controls
- Birds peck the larvae from under the bark with their beaks.
- Some wasp parasites attack the borer.
- Carpenter ants eat both larvae and pupae from the wood.
- Harvest mites attack pupae inside the pupal chambers.
- Beetles are attracted to weakened, sunburned, or injured parts of the trunk and lay eggs in cracks on bark exposed to the sun.
- Protect young and newly planted trees from sunburn by whitewashing or painting with white interior latex paint....