Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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Tuesday - June 11, 2013
From: N. Falmouth, MA
Region: Northeast
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Trees
Title: Damage to Pine Tree on Cape Cod, MA
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
My pine tree on Cape Cod has bark that is perforated with holes covering the entire tree. Bark can be removed by hand. Looks dead. What did this?ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants is sitting down here in Texas thinking; pine tree with holes in the bark------ could it be a pine bark beetle?
This link to University of Massachusetts tells about several “conifer bark beetles” that could be causing the damage that you describe. This Garden Web forum discusses a situation similar to yours occurring on the Cape that may prove helpful.
What you really need is to have a knowledgeable person take a look at your tree and diagnose the problem. You might find such a person at the Barnstable County offices of UMass Extension.
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