Detection of these larvae under the bark of dead or dying trees should indicate that the infested tree should be removed. Insecticide treatments to prevent pine sawyer damage or eliminate active infestations are rarely justified. Deodar weevil - Problems with this pest are not common, but when they occur, an entire planting may be affected. This weevil lays eggs in the bark at the base of stressed Virginia pine trunks. Larvae hatching from the eggs tunnel beneath the bark during the winter months, often causing infested trees to die during January or February.
Mature larvae pupate in chambers which appear oval in shape and are lined with wood shavings.
Broadcast bait applications are best applied in September in Christmas tree operations, so that their maximum level of suppression can be attained in November. Nevertheless, it is advisable to place warning signs and disclaimers at the entrance of the planting if potentially sensitive consumers are to cut their own trees. Unfortunately, augmentive biological control agents have not been developed to suppress many of the pests of Virginia pine. However, a number of naturally occurring predators, parasites and pathogens often keep certain pest populations at tolerable levels. Frequent use of broad-spectrum insecticides can result in the outbreaks of normally minor pests by eliminating their natural enemies.