White pine weevil

White pine weevil larvae tunnel inside the terminal leader of spruce and pine, killing the shoot and causing a characteristic shepherd's crook curve as lateral branches grow upward. You will see small, round exit holes in the bark of damaged leaders in summer, with copious resin bleeding from infested terminals. Affected trees are permanently deformed, with crooked trunks.

Prune off infested leaders by early July, cutting six inches below visible damage. Discard pruning material away from trees or burn it to destroy larvae. Avoid planting susceptible species in harsh, open sites where leaders are weakened. For high-value landscape plants, wrapping leaders with burlap in spring reduces adult weevil feeding.