Many people own their own garden these days, and do their best to care for their plants. Sadly, however, there are some things that make caring for plants a very difficult process, such as pesticides. Pesticides are insects that harm or damage plants in some way, and thus adding to the difficulty of caring for a personal garden. One of the pesticides most harmful to trees in particular, is the Peach Tree Borer.
What Is A Peach Tree Borer?
This bothersome creature a pest native to North America that can cause catastrophic damage to various types of trees such as the peach, cherry, and nectarine tree, with the peach tree being at the highest risk, which is how this pesticide got its name.
The Peach Tree Borer has a life cycle that takes approximately one year to complete. The Borer starts as a larva in the first stage of this life cycle, which lasts throughout all of winter until late May or early July. Pupation then occurs below soil in a cell made of silk and chewed wood fragments, lasting roughly one month. Once the pupal stage is over, an adult Borer emerges.
Adult male Borers have an appearance that resembles that of a yellow jacket hornet, whereas the female Borer has a slightly heavier body, with a single orange band around the rear end of their body.
The Dangers
The larvae stage of the Peach Tree Borer’s life cycle is where the danger lies, and tree owners need to take immediate action to avoid serious damage to their tree. The larvae begins damaging the tree as soon as it’s hatched by burrowing itself into the sapwood of the tree through any cracks and wounds they can find. The larvae feed on the tree until winter, at which point they move beneath the surface underneath the bark of the trees roots. Once winter has ended, the Borers again begin to feed on the tree. At this point the damage the larvae causes is even greater, since they need to eat more to sustain their growth.
Keeping Your Tree Safe
Precautionary steps should be taken to keep your tree safe from the dangers of a Peach Tree Borer. Evidence of your tree being the host of Borer eggs is a wet spot on the bark, or a distinct presence of a gummy sap which is generally dark from the insect’s excrement. If you see these signs, here’s a few different safety measures you can take to help your tree.
Preventative Sprays – Applying preventative sprays at the base of the tree at the beginning of July and August is one of the preferred methods to kill off these pesticides. It can be difficult to ensure this spray removes all Borers, since it may not be able to reach borers burrowed deep underneath the bark of the tree.
Nematodes – Using insect parasitic Nematodes to remove Peach Tree Borers is more effective, but only if applied properly. Nematodes require adequate moisture, and a ground temperature of at least 50 – 80 degrees, otherwise they will die before successfully affecting the Peach Tree Borers
Peach Tree Borers will kill your tree if not handled properly, and will not go away on their own. Make sure you’re prepared for this pest, and use the methods listed above when you encounter them.