What is killing the pines?
A. The Cape’s pitch pines are being attacked by an insect called the black turpentine beetle. The beetle chews through the bark eventually severing the xylem tubes, which bring water up, and the phloem tubes, which bring sap down. You can see the little holes on the trunk of the infected tree as well as the ooze of sap and bug poop coming out. The pine dies from lack of water since it’s xylem tubes get severed. As the beetle can migrate to healthy trees, infected ones should be removed.
