The outside of the twig is smoothly cut but the center of the twig has a broken appearance. The larvae begin feeding on dead wood inside the twigs the following spring and continue through most of the summer. Pupation takes place inside the feeding cavity. Development is completed during August when the adult emerges to repeat the cycle. Though the adults will feed on the bark of host twigs, damage is minimal until the female starts the girdling process.
Chemical control is impractical.
Fallen twigs can be gathered and disposed of either in the fall or in the spring as this will destroy the larvae inside the twigs. Often, natural mortality is high due to excessive drying of fallen twigs or too many larvae per twig. Ortho Problem Solver, Ortho Information Services, pg 427 2.