Crap.
Crap. A combination of neglect due to illness and stupid gardening magazines* has led to a very bad peachtree borer infestation in the apricot trees. I think I am going to have to call the tree people who trimmed it and see if they are in a position to do anything. What I am reading is a little conflicting, except for the part where they all look at you sadly and shake their heads. This can kill the trees.
These are a type of moth and their larvae. They burrow under the bark and eat the cambium, which is the living part of the bark under the outer protective dead layer. They are apparently very hard to kill, even with nasty chemicals, which is a lot of what I am seeing recommended. Nasty enough that you cannot buy them for home use; they are only available to licensed commercial folks. There are some variably listed things about stuff you can do yourself without the super-nasty chemicals, but I can't get a clear picture of what to do, so I'm going to have to call around. Maybe to Cornell, as well as the arborists.
We actually convinced my mom to let us dig away all the random stuff she had planted at the base of the trees and on their roots, but it's too late. We can keep it clear, but we need to get rid of the bugs.
*Stupid magazines that make it look like a well groomed lawn and garden have all sorts of plants and flowers all over the base of their trees. Even though the better magazines will say somewhere that you can damage even a lot of ornamental trees this way. Unfortunately, people see the pictures and that's all that registers. When my dad got sick, my mom took over taking care of the lawn (which for some weird reason she insisted I shouldn't help with). She is super knowledgeable about flowers, but knows nothing about trees, and became obsessed with the lawn, i.e., grass. It was not good for the trees.
These are a type of moth and their larvae. They burrow under the bark and eat the cambium, which is the living part of the bark under the outer protective dead layer. They are apparently very hard to kill, even with nasty chemicals, which is a lot of what I am seeing recommended. Nasty enough that you cannot buy them for home use; they are only available to licensed commercial folks. There are some variably listed things about stuff you can do yourself without the super-nasty chemicals, but I can't get a clear picture of what to do, so I'm going to have to call around. Maybe to Cornell, as well as the arborists.
We actually convinced my mom to let us dig away all the random stuff she had planted at the base of the trees and on their roots, but it's too late. We can keep it clear, but we need to get rid of the bugs.
*Stupid magazines that make it look like a well groomed lawn and garden have all sorts of plants and flowers all over the base of their trees. Even though the better magazines will say somewhere that you can damage even a lot of ornamental trees this way. Unfortunately, people see the pictures and that's all that registers. When my dad got sick, my mom took over taking care of the lawn (which for some weird reason she insisted I shouldn't help with). She is super knowledgeable about flowers, but knows nothing about trees, and became obsessed with the lawn, i.e., grass. It was not good for the trees.
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