The injury can be distinguished from Zimmerman pine moth in that there is no accumulation of gummy sap at the junction of the tree branches in the main stem. Adults are emerging now from the pine trees. Now is a great time to spray trees with Dursban, Lindane, Astro, or Talstar, to kill adults that feed on trees. It is too late to prune out infested leaders. Homeowners can use Lindane and Dursban.
Infested trees have the leader curled into a shape that resembles a shepherd's crook.
Lateral branches from the infested tree's first whorl may also be curled. The top two to 3 years of growth can be affected. Adults winter in leaf litter and fly to tree tops to mate when the weather warms in the spring. Females lay many eggs in terminals that hatch into grubs that bore into shoots. Legless larvae continue to feed until July when they pupate in chip bark cocoons.