Pinewood Nematode & Pine Wilt
Pinewood Nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) is a very small nematode (or roundworm) which is known to kill many exotic or non-native pines. First detected in 1979, the nematode is responsible for the Pine wilt disease, and is found in the central US as far north as South Dakota. One of the more commonly affected trees, Pinus sylvestris or Scotch Pine, is a good example of a tree that could be affected by Pinewood Nematode.
- Scot's Pine is a common planting in windbreaks and in communities across North Dakota, meaning that there is a large potential for damage.
There is no remedy for Pinewood Nematode or Pine Wilt disease. Once a tree is infected it should be removed and disposed of appropriately to prevent spread of the disease.
Pinewood Nematode has a unique relationship with a group of insects from the genus Monochamus. These beetles you may commonly know as Sawyers, or Sawyer beetles. They are a group of longhorn beetles which are found in many places around the globe. These beetles are attracted to recently dead or dying trees for breeding, and they lay eggs underneath the bark. The larva then feeds there for 1-2 months, during which time the dormant larvae of the Pinewood Nematode are able to invade the insect through the thoracic spiracles (part of the insect's respiratory tract) and then stay dormant in the beetle's tracheae. After maturation, the adult emerges from the dead tree, now infested with Pinewood Nematode. The larva carried by the insect will then be transmitted by the insects feeding on a new tree, at which point the process may begin again.