My Weeping Cherry Tree Has Borers

Although your weeping cherry tree has become infested with borers, all is not necessarily lost. Through the use of a combination of insecticide applications and physical alterations of the tree, you may be able to save the tree.

Nonchemical Treatments

• Once a weeping cherry tree is infested with wood-boring insects, nonchemical treatments are limited. Limbs may be pruned to remove sections of infestation. In some cases, the larvae may be removed from the holes with a wire, a knife or another appropriate tool.

Residual Insecticides

• Residual insecticides are applied as sprays to the trunk and limbs. They require repeat applications to be effective. They kill adult insects and some larvae. Residual insecticides, however, are ineffective against larvae in the sapwood or heartwood.

Trunk Injections

• Insecticides used as trunk injections tend to be most effective on adult sap-feeding insects and relatively ineffective on larvae. Identification of the specific type of borer and awareness of its life cycle will help maximize the effectiveness of injections.