Imidacloprid may also be applied as a systemic to be taken up by the roots. Consult the label for dosage rates and safety precautions. Brown wood borer or pole borer, Parandra brunnea . This black-headed borer makes galleries in the wood and holes in the bark. The life cycle is three or four years.
Adults are present just before flowering.
Mechanical injury to the bark attracts adult beetles and enables them to deposit eggs very easily. Avoiding injury to bark and providing adequate irrigation during periods of drought can prevent injury. Trunk sprays of chlorpyrifos or carbaryl, which are among the compounds registered for control of this pest in Connecticut, can be applied to kill adults before they have a chance to lay their eggs. Consult the label for dosage rates and safety precautions. Saddled prominent, Heterocampa guttivitta.