White pine tree decline branches turning brown

Question: Have had a few 15+ year old pine trees give out and lose branches and die.  Pictures of the latest one.  The needles get light green and thin and eventually brown with individual branches dieing. They are in a bit of a wet area but gre well for first 7-10 years.  First signs of it is white sap on trunk.

responder: Thank you for contacting Ask Extension!  Replied July 09, 2024, 5:39 PM EDT
response: Those images show a very distinct canker, indicating the presence of either a fungal or bacterial disease. Have you seen anything that matches the description of white pine blister rust (article below)? That is a fairly common disease, but I do not see the characteristic yellow blisters (that release orange spores). I will touch base with some others on our team for additional input, but my initial thought is that the trees are weakened by stressful growing conditions, making them more susceptible to diseases they would ordinarily resist. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/white_pine_blister_rust_damage_showing_up

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 09, 2024, 6:12 PM EDT
response: Thank you Brent.  That may be it I do feel like I noticed orange color underneath the bark when it cracks like it is.   Typically the needles turn orangish, very light green color then declines from there with more white sap coming out of trunk  After reading the article looks like there are no fungicides to treat it?  Just trim the branches that look like they have it?   Should a fungicide be used to treat the ground around the area where other white pines are?  It is a wet area especially in the spring which likely means is stressing it and those in that area.    Anything to apply to white pines that may be stressed by wet soils to help them?   Thanks Brian.  Sent from my iPhone On Jul 9, 2024, at 5:39 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:   ﻿

responder: Thank you for contacting Ask Extension!  Replied July 10, 2024, 12:10 PM EDT
response: I had two other tree experts review the photos. There are a few possibilities, including Zimmerman pine moth (but they tend to avoid white pine, which is too pitchy for them) and pitch mass borer (but they tend to be higher up in the tree). White pine blister rust is the most likely culprit, though there could be multiple things going on. There really isn't much you can do for them, other than any actions that promote drainage. Fungicides are unlikely to be effective, and we don't recommend treating the ground or soil. Whatever this is, it is likely to spread to the other white pines. I would recommend removal of any tree with evident disease in the main trunk, and pruning off infected branches from other trees that do not have disease evident in the main trunk. Only prune when the foliage is dry and there is no rain in the forecast for several days, to reduce the risk of spreading disease. Sterilizing pruning tools between cuts is not a bad idea, either. If you would like to know for sure what the issue is, you could consult with MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostics. There is a fee for their services, but they can evaluate a sample for insects or disease and for various pathogens. You would need to contact them first to find out exactly what sample material would be required.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 10, 2024, 3:56 PM EDT
response: Ok thank you.  I’ll check the neighboring trees for issues and trim.  I have planted thuja green giants in the area as I figured this tree would be removed soon.  Hoping they will do better in the area.   Sent from my iPhone On Jul 10, 2024, at 12:10 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:   ﻿