PestHigh Severity

Bronze Birch Borer

Agrilus anxius Gory (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

A destructive wood-boring beetle that attacks stressed birch trees. Adults are deep green-bronze beetles, with females about 1/2 inch long. Larvae create feeding galleries that girdle trunks and branches, leading to tree decline and death.

Peak Season: Adult emergence late June through August, larvae active spring through fall
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Bronze Birch Borer damage showing characteristic galleries and exit holes

Identification & Symptoms

What to Look For

Chlorotic foliage with sparse growth in upper crown
Progressive twig dieback from top of tree downward
D-shaped exit holes approximately 1/8 inch in diameter
Serpentine larval galleries visible under bark
Bark cracking and splitting over larval tunnels
Woodpecker damage as birds seek out larvae
Tree death typically within 2-3 years of initial attack

Potential Damage

Larval galleries girdle tree trunks and branches
Cambium destruction disrupts nutrient and water transport
Secondary attacks on already stressed trees
Mechanical injuries provide preferred egg-laying sites
Can kill healthy trees weakened by environmental stress

Lifecycle

Larvae overwinter in xylem between summer wood and bark. Complete development and pupate in spring. Adults emerge over 6-week period beginning late June. Eggs laid in bark crevices, preferring mechanical injury sites. Larvae bore into cambium and remain 1-2 years.

Professional Treatment Approach

1

Systemic insecticide injection for prevention and early treatment

2

Maintain tree health through proper watering and fertilization

3

Avoid mechanical injuries to bark during maintenance

4

Remove and destroy heavily infested trees

5

Preventive treatments for high-value birch specimens

Recommended Mauget Products

Imicide

Professional-grade treatment specifically effective against bronze birch borer.

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Dinocide

Professional-grade treatment specifically effective against bronze birch borer.

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Need Professional Diagnosis?

Our certified arborists can help you accurately identify tree problems and develop an effective treatment plan using Mauget's proven injection systems.

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