What's eating my mockernut hickory?

Mockernut hickory has a thick shell that somewhat limits nut pest damage, but hickory shuckworm and fall webworm are consistent annual visitors. Squirrels exploit the calorie-rich kernel despite the thick shell. Hickory bark beetle attacks stressed or drought-weakened trees. The species is generally resilient; healthy trees in good soil require minimal pest intervention.

Larvae mine within the thick husk; late-season infestations prevent normal shuck dehiscence, trapping nuts in black, sticky husks that reduce harvest quality. Apply spinosad at peak adult flight (monitor with pheromone traps in June–July); a single well-timed spray is usually sufficient for home-scale trees.

Communal webs at branch tips contain feeding caterpillars; cosmetically unsightly; repeated infestations on the same tree can reduce vigor over time. Prune and bag nests through late summer; Bt applied to open tent edges; natural parasitoid populations often collapse infestations without intervention on mature trees.

Beetles bore under bark of stressed branches, creating galleries that girdle limbs; 'sawdust' frass and entry holes visible on trunk; dieback of upper canopy follows severe attacks. Maintain tree health through irrigation and mulching to prevent stress; remove and chip dead wood promptly; no effective chemical control once beetles are under bark.

Despite the shell thickness, squirrels crack mockernut effectively and cache many nuts; orchard-scale yield losses are moderate but home-tree losses can be significant. Metal trunk collars; live trapping; harvest promptly when husks begin to split in October.