“What can be done to protect individual, high-value trees?
Good tree health and maintenance can help keep spruce trees resilient to spruce beetles but won’t guarantee protection from beetle attacks. Provide supplemental water in spring and early summer and avoid pruning spruce between May and July. Avoid damaging the trunk and roots of the tree by keeping equipment away and avoiding grade changes or other ground disturbances.
Individual trees can be protected from spruce beetle through the use of pesticide applications. Pesticides can be used to prevent a spruce beetle infestation in a tree but are not effective for treating trees that are already infested and cannot be used to treat firewood that may have spruce beetle individuals in it.
Spray applications of a registered pesticide are historically the most common method for treating trees. Sprays should be applied only to uninfested trees and should be made prior to May. Carbaryl and permethrin are effective active ingredients against spruce beetles and are sold under a few product names.
Newer pesticide formulations for treating trees for spruce beetle include injectable pesticides with the active ingredient emamectin benzoate or abemectin.
For more information and details on pesticide use for spruce beetles, please contact Henry Tree Service at 907-952-8070 or henrytreesllc@gmail.com.
Information sourced from https://www.alaskasprucebeetle.org/frequently-asked-questions/