Longhorn Beetles

People often contact us concerned about “borers” in their trees. There are many types of wood boring insects. Most are beetle larvae (grubs), and some are moth larvae (caterpillars). Some are lethal, others only partially or occasionally so. Almost all attack trees that are under stress, or even dead!

The longhorn beetles, family Cerambycidae, are a large group of beetles whose larva are mostly wood borers and root feeders. These are often larger beetles, including the giant root borer (Prionus heroicus) adult pictured above – one of North America’s largest beetles. Their grubs live underground, feeding on tree roots. Large trees are not damaged, but young trees may suffer a lot from root loss. Interestingly, for a hungry looking beetle with big jaws, the adults don’t feed at all. They mate, lay eggs and fade away.

The grubs are often called roundheaded borers. They make round tunnels as they feed, and a round hole when emerging from the bark. Pine sawyer beetles attack stressed pines, often cueing in on the chemicals emitted by bark beetles. They may introduce pine wilt nematodes – tiny, microscopic worm-like organisms that then live and reproduce in the xylem, the sapwood. This shuts down water flow, further stressing the tree and making it more susceptible to … well, all kinds of things!

The best defense for your trees is to keep them healthy by managing the root zone and making sure there is enough water available to the tree. Legacy Tree can help with that!

Contact us to find out more about our Albuquerque tree removal services.