What's eating my scots pine?

Scots Pine is most commonly damaged by pine woolly aphid and pine sawfly larvae, with pine needle scale a persistent indoor-nursery threat. Deer browse saplings and red squirrels strip bark on mature trees in the UK. Bark beetles exploit stressed or weakened trees. Good site selection and tree vigor are the best preventives.

White woolly masses on needles and bark; honeydew and sooty mold; needle yellowing and premature drop Encourage natural predators; apply insecticidal soap or systemic insecticide for heavy infestations on young trees

Gregarious larvae strip older needles from branches; heavily defoliated branches turn brown and die back Hand-pick larvae and egg clusters; spray Bt or pyrethrin in spring during early instar stages

Adults bore into leading shoot tips causing them to droop and die; weakened trees are more vulnerable Remove and destroy infested shoot tips and fallen timber; keep trees healthy to resist attack; pheromone traps nearby

Bark stripping on young saplings and browsing of soft new shoots, especially in winter Tree tubes or spiral guards on young trees; deer fencing in woodland plantings; repellent sprays reapplied after rain