How To Treat Pine Trees With Branches Dying From The Ground Up

Question

We currently have three mature pine trees whose branches are progressively dying from the ground up. We’ve been told that this could be caused by either a fungus or a boring beetle. I was also told that there is nothing we can do other than remove them. Is this common and does the prognosis sound correct? They sit in full sun on the shore of a fresh water lake and are fully exposed to the elements in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

Answer 1

This article below gives some other possibilities you can consider. If it is a fungal tip blight, you can check for cankers where new growth begins. You can see borer evidence, too. I will also include info about boring beetles.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/pine/pine-tree-drying-bottom.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/tree-borer-insects.htm