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. Pheromone traps can be used to monitor the activity or flight periods of the adult moths. These traps collect male moths only. Traps should be placed throughout the planting and monitored on a weekly basis. Plantings should be monitored more closely following the collection of moths in pheromone traps.