Landscape - Ambrosia Beetle

Ambrosia beetles are a major cause of decline and death of woody landscape plants. The following is an article on the subject adapted from University of Maryland Extension information.

Ambrosia Beetles

Ambrosia beetles are one of the major killers of nursery and landscape plants from Georgia to Delaware. The adult females overwinter and adult activity starts with the first warm weather of spring. You can place traps baited with ethyl alcohol to attract beetles. As most ambrosia beetles overwinter as adults, degree days have little value for predicting emergence time because there is no temperature dependent larval period prior to the first spring flight. With our warm winter it is likely to see emergence in March this year and with the first extended warm period we can expect lots of activity from ambrosia beetles.

Ambroisa beetles commonly attack trees including styrax, Kwanzan cherry, golden raintree, dogwood, holly, weeping willow and sugar maples.

Control: It is important to treat trees before beetles close the galleries with frass. If trees are found with large amounts of frass being pushed out then it is usually too late to apply an insecticide. In the landscape trees can be treated with permethrin (Astro). In the nursery, treat with bifenthrin (Onyx).

Adapted from an article in the March 23, 2007 edition of the TPM/IPM Weekly Report for Arborists, Landscape Managers & Nursery Managers from University of Maryland Cooperative Extension