If the canopy of your favorite Birch or Ash tree is starting to die back, you don't have time to wait.
Tree borers are some of the most destructive pests in Eastern Idaho, tunneling deep into vascular tissue and cutting off a tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients.
In Idaho Falls, borers specifically target trees that are already stressed by our high-desert climate.
Whether it's the Bronze Birch Borer or the Emerald Ash Borer, these silent killers often go unnoticed until the damage is irreversible. Once they've established a colony under the bark, a standard surface spray won't reach them.
To save your trees, you need a proactive, professional treatment plan that targets the larvae before they destroy your investment.
Here is how to identify the early signs of infestation and the best borer treatments for Idaho homeowners.
First Up: Famous Idaho Tree Borers
So who are these dastardly villains?
First up: the bronze birch borer. This is a seriously bad dude. The adult is a black beetle about 1/2 inch long with an iridescent bronze shimmer on its back.
It loves the sun (maybe to show off that shimmer) and may be found crawling on the sunny side of your tree trunks in late spring and early summer.
But this coppery wood-boring beetle causes the most damage as a larva. So, tree borer treatment is important early.
The female deposits her eggs under cracks and crevices of the bark. The eggs hatch in a couple weeks and the icky larvae start tunneling into your tree tissue.
Unseen, it feeds on the vascular tissue under the bark.
It typically attacks trees that are already stressed or in decline, so here’s a plug for good tree health care.
A birch infested with bronze birch borer will start showing dieback in the crown. As the infestation continues, you’ll see D-shaped, rust-stained exit holes in the trunk.
The worst-case scenario? You lose your beautiful birch.
Next Up: the Ash Borer
While the famous emerald ash borer gets all the attention lately, regular old ash borers are out there quietly feasting, out of the spotlight.
Native ash borers typically attack stressed trees, boring deep into the tree, unlike the emerald ash borer, which attacks the tissue just beneath the bark.
Are these bugs eating your trees? Look for a mixture of sawdust and borer poop accumulating in the crevices of bark, on branches, and on the ground.
How to Get Rid of Tree Borers
The best borer treatment in Idaho is a one-two punch of systemic injections plus foliar treatments.
Systemic insecticides injected into your trees in the spring and fall treat them from within, while spray treatments three times a year zap any bugs crawling on your trees. The foliage spray has a residual effect, too, lasting for 30 days to deter any hungry invaders.
It’s a lot easier to prevent borers than to treat them after they show up.
Are Your Trees Ready for a New Best Friend?
Ready to rescue your precious trees from villainous, hungry borers?
Tree borer treatments are available for our Idaho Falls customers who use our full-service lawn care program.
That gives you extra peace of mind — choose an Idaho Falls professional lawn care service that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan, plus know your valuable trees are protected from damaging bugs like borers.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started. Just fill out the form on this page, call us at (208) 656-9131 or read more about our services. Then you can kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.
Image Source: Bronze birch borer, Emerald Ash Borer
