Controlling pesky pine sawflies

Posted: Thursday, April 26, 2012

If you have pine trees in your yard, stay on the lookout for the pine sawfly. The larvae of this non-native insect feeds on living (green) pine needles from the previous year’s growth. New needles will grow each year at the branch tips; however, the older needles that were eaten will not grow back. Continued feeding can slow tree growth and cause the tree to appear thin if the number of feeding larvae is high, but tree loss from sawflies is uncommon.

What to do:

• Look for pine sawflies now. The larvae should be easy to see around areas where damage from feeding has occurred.
• Handpick and dispose of the larvae by placing them in a bucket of soapy water.
• Dislodge pine sawfly larvae from the tree with water spray from a garden hose.

To learn more about sawflies, visit www.extension.umn.edu and search “pine sawfly.”