#SUGAR MAPLE LEAF SCAR HOW TO#

Learning to recognize that particular maple tree along with this particular beetle gives insight into what it happening in that forested area. Sugar maple trees are the only species that the Sugar Maple Borer uses as a host plant. Inserting thin wire into larval holes to kill them also helps reduce the amount of damage done inside trees. Removing heavily infested trees before summer and pruning infested limbs helps curb beetle population growth. Forestry management strategies to control its population size are implemented in the northeastern states and provinces where the maple syrup production thrives. Though this beetle has not devastated forests of maple trees, its negative handiwork makes it a pest. Maple syrup production relies on this tree species. Today, the boiled sap, or syrup is a billion-dollar industry.

#SUGAR MAPLE LEAF SCAR HOW TO#

Native Americans taught early colonists how to identify and tap into the sugar maple tree's vascular tissue in order to collect some of its sap. The disruption in water and nutrient flow can negatively affect sap production, too. These defects render the lumber less valuable for use (flooring, cabinetry, furniture). They also dig deeper into the wood just before winter, creating 'J'-shaped tunnels and twisted grain. Larvae can grow up to 5 cm long (almost 2 inches) and cause wood discoloration and decay inside the wood. Sometimes larvae move horizontally across the trunk, causing the tree to have raised scars that look like smiles. In the process of moving throughout the wood, larvae cut off vascular tissue that allows the tree to move water and nutrients up and down. Adult beetles emerge in two years, leaving plenty of time for exploration and feeding. The tiny, wormy larvae burrow into the sapwood of the tree and tunnel their way round.

The Sugar Maple Borer lays fertilized eggs on the the Sugar Maple Tree. Strange marks and bulges in a tree's bark can indicate the presence of young beetle grubs and pupae inside the tree.

Once the adult beetle is identified, it is worth the time to examine the maple trees nearby.

A yellow band sits at the bottom of the head, and more yellow may fill in between the eyes. The thorax has a black center with two yellow lines on each side. If its head and thorax are bent down, three yellow dots are visible where the 'neck' and top of the wings connect. A 'W'-shaped yellow line zig-zags across the upper elytra, near the 'shoulders', and it is filled with two angled yellow lines on each side. A curved yellow line crosses the elytra (wing coverings) near the middle of the wings like a loose belt. A single black dot in the center may or may not have a black band above it. Starting by the rear end, the black wing coverings look like they were dipped in bright yellow paint. The yellow markings on the Sugar Maple Borer are hard to miss.

Sugar maple leaf scar