How to Treat Borers in Oaks

Treating Borers in Your Oak Trees

• 1

  Check the oak tree for signs of the wood borers. Wood borer larvae resemble small worms. Remove the larvae off the tree with the point of a pocketknife or the end of a strip of wire to reduce small infestations.

• 2

  Purchase chlorpyrifos insecticide, which can be found at most garden centers. Prepare the insecticide solution, if not already prepared, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fill a spray bottle with the solution.

• 3

  Spray the oak tree with the chlorpyrifos insecticide. Saturate all the surfaces of your oak. Be sure to check the chlorpyrifos insecticide product label for specific application instructions. Apply the spray in mid-August, the time when adults leave the tree and new larvae burrow into it, so the most borers will be exposed to the solution.

• 4

  Use a hand saw or chainsaw to cut down the oak tree if it is too infected to salvage. Remove the oak tree from the area to prevent the borers from moving to other trees and infesting them.

• 5

  Maintain a regular schedule of watering, pruning and fertilizing your oak tree. Proper tree maintenance will prevent future borer infestations and help the tree heal after the borers have been removed.