How to Get Rid of Pine Sawyer Beetles

Pine sawyer beetles are large beetles from the genus Monochamus. These wood burrowers feed off and breed in various conifers trees, such as pine trees, and are often blamed for the pine wilt disease. Pine sawyer beetles do not directly cause pine wilt. Instead, the beetles harbor pinewood nematodes (tiny worms) that cause pine wilt. Getting rid of pine sawyer beetles and their eggs will help to lower the risk of the tree disease and damage done to the inside of your trees.

Wood chipper (optional)

Water source

Destroy any newly fallen, stressed or dying trees, especially pines, on your property. Burning the trees is the best solution, while chipping or mulching will also work. Pine sawyer beetles eat, live and lay their eggs within newly fallen or weakened trees. To slow the slow the spread of these beetles it is best to completely destroy fallen or stressed trees before early March.

Immerse logs in a pond and continually spray the surface logs with water. This is an effective means for storing whole logs or large quantities of wood for further use or sale.

Strip the bark off logs you wish to store if immersion in water is impractical. Debarking destroys the beetle's habitat.

Store your wood in tight, compact, high wood piles. This may not completely prevent infestation but it will limit it to the first two or three rows on the bottom of the pile. Pine sawyer beetles find interior, shaded areas of wood unsuitable for laying eggs.