Asian Ambrosia Beetle

A new pest of woody shrubs and trees has appeared in the Atlanta area. Ambrosia beetles bore into limbs and inoculate the wood with a fungus. They have been found on crape myrtle, ornamental cherry, Japanese maple, Siberian elm, red bud and several other ornamental plants. Ambrosia beetles prefer drought stressed plants but they are also known to attack perfectly healthy plants.

Since their boring may sever the plant's nutrient conducting system under the bark, infested twigs and limbs first wilt and then die. A definitive sign of ambrosia beetles is the Atoothpick" of sawdust which emerges from small "shotholes" where the beetles have entered.

Specific controls for ambrosia beetle are scarce. If holes and sawdust are found, use an insecticide spray labeled for use on borers. If you notice dozens of sawdust toothpicks in the trunk of a tree, it will likely not survive.

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The Asian Ambrosia Beetle