Pest control Long Beach plays an important role in the elimination of harmful pests. One of those pests is the bark beetle. This is a pest that attacks conifers such as broadleaf trees and pines. There are approximately 600 species of the bark beetles in the U.S. The most common species are the red turpentine, engraver beetles and western pine.
Identification
Before they start working, pest control companies Long Beach start by identifying the pest they are up against. The bark beetles are small in size, cylindrical and hard bodied. Their size is like that of rice grain. The majority of them are black, brown or dark. When viewed under magnification, they have an antenna which is elbowed with the outer segments which are enlarged and somewhat club-like. They have strong jaws. On an infested tree, you will find holes on the surface of the bark.
Damages
The bark beetles cause damages because they mostly target the inner bark on trunks, twigs and branches. It is for this reason that infested plants have holes on their surface. When you remove the perforated bark, you will find degraded inner bark. You might even find new beetles that are yet to emerge. More often than not, the bark beetles attack plants that are weakened by injuries, diseases and other factors. The infestation by these pests will cause the plant to decline and subsequently die. Even so, only a few species are known to cause trees to die.
Another damage that mandates pest control Long Beach is the drying of branch tips. This is caused by the feeding habits of the bark beetles. This damage is mostly caused by the cypress and the cedar bark beetles. These species go after the twigs that they dig up to 6 inches from the end of the branches. They will feed on the inner bark and then lay eggs. The bark beetles are also capable of infecting plants with fungi which causes the Dutch elm disease.
Management
The bark beetles live under the bark of trees. Controlling them can be hard especially when you plan on using insecticides. The best solution is to prune the infested parts. Failing to do this will cause the infestation to spread.
Promoting the health of your plants will further help with the management of these pests. The bark beetles target the weak trees. Maintaining the good health of the plant will reduce infestations. Identifying plants that these beetles do not attack and then planting them together with the ones they attack will further reduce the infestation.
The use of chemicals in pest control Long Beach should be a last resort. You should also work with pest control companies Long Beach. They have the experience, the training and the tools needed to get rid of the problem once and for all.
