This tree was unusual…

Normally, a termite infestation is found in dead wood…

While conducting a visual inspection of this small navel orange tree, I noticed some irregular sloughing bark. I carefully extracted the bark to discover a thriving community of termites! I peeled all the separated bark, and traced the route the insects used to attack this tree - there was a poor pruning cut (just a small one) just above the infested area. The tree was unable to heal the wound because it was a horizontal cut, allowing water to accumulate and rot the stubbed cut.

To treat this tree, I peeled away all the loose bark, then used a low-volume handheld pressure washer to rinse all live insects from the burrows, tunnels, and holes in the trunk. I then applied foaming termite pesticide to the areas inhabited by the bugs. While I try to avoid using chemical treatments whenever possible, sometimes there’s just no choice, and this was one of those situations. I couldn’t afford to “discourage” these bugs from living in this tree - every day their colony thrived, more and more of the tree’s tissues were being destroyed.

After letting the pesticide soak overnight, I returned and again flushed the burrows to eliminate any remaining insects, applied another dose of pesticide, and then used a vitamin-infused wound sealer everywhere the bark had been removed from the tree. This prevents introduction of a number of pests (insect, fungal, etc) into an open wound in the tree. I also cleaned up and packed the original poor pruning cut.

The final step was to wrap the tree with a protective bandage until the sealer had time to cure.

Next fruiting season we will see how the tree is doing!

Thanks for your time!

~Becky