Prior to sale of trees, careful inspection can detect and eliminate trees of poor quality and those with obvious pest damage. Aphid and scale outbreaks cause trees to darken. This organism is black in color and can reduce the aesthetic value of the Christmas tree. Furthermore, mobile aphids will occasionally leave the tree after harvest, causing concern on the part of the consumer. Suppression of these pests prior to harvest is necessary to avoid this consumer problem.
Aphids often become numerous during the winter months.
Following the harvest of trees for Christmas sale, trees should continue to be monitored for insect outbreaks to avoid serious production problems for the following year. The following discussions are brief des-criptions of major Virginia pine insect problems in Texas. Table 1 lists the commonly available insecticides for suppression of these pests. Several generations occur annually. Subsequent generations are overlapping and intensify during the fall.