Remove the soil from around the base of infected trees as described above, and use a pocketknife or some other pointed instrument to dig the larvae out. Individual borers may be killed by inserting a wire into their holes. Keep trees vigorous. Use good sanitation practices, adequate irrigation, and good pruning techniques to keep trees healthy. Avoid wounds or mechanical injury of the trunk and upper branches.
Wounds can provide entry points for borers.
Use insecticides if necessary. Spray the trunk and the lower branches of the tree with Lindane, as a preventative, in late spring and early summer. Repeat two times at 3-week intervals. To avoid killing bees, do not spray during bloom. Examine your trees yearly.