The eggs hatch fairly quickly and larvae burrow into the sapwood where they make a small cavity. In the spring, they continue to burrow to the heartwood eventually pupating in the tunnel to emerge in late summer. There is one generation per year. Young stressed trees are especially attractive to females. Any mechanical damage from lawn mowers, trimmers or previous borers offers attractive places for egg laying.
Healthy trees cover tunnels with scar tissue.
Locust trees are seldom killed outright but trees can be weakened and disfigured. Look for pines to exhibit severe fall yellowing due to the drought this summer. Soon white pines and other needle evergreens will have the oldest needles turn bright yellow before turning brown and falling. This is a physiological response that occurs every fall, but when we have dry seasons more needles than normal turn yellow and homeowners often get alarmed. As long as the new growth stays green, the plants will survive.