Pine trees dropping new growth

[Paschale]

I've been bopping around my backyard today, and it looks like a lot of new growth from my pine trees is dropping from the trees and scattered all around my backyard. 

Should I be worried about this?   

[Ironwood]

Mine too. Reid

[Tom]

Not being familiar with your situation up there, down here, when we get some strong winds, the new tips of the pine's limbs is blown from the tree and will litter the roads.  Have you had any strong winds?

[Ironwood]

We, and possibly Mi. has had some real dry spells for late spring/ early summer coupled with high heat for a couple of weeks early in May. I tend to think the trees are responding to this. The grass had browned here in mid May due to the conditions, this ususally doesn't occur until late July , or August. It has since greened due to some good rain and moderated temps.

            Reid

[Paschale]

Today we've had some high winds, but they were falling a few weeks ago too, when it was fairly calm, so I'm not sure what to think.   

[WDH]

Paschale,

Say more about new growth.  Is it the new flushes of growth, i.e. the terminal leaders or is it needles?

[Ironwood]

Terminal leaders I guess, it is the needles and the new stem/branch portion. It seems like it jetisoned the thing right off. I figured it was stress of the heat and dry weather.

 Reid

[SwampDonkey]

Any evidence of chewing by insects? or squirrels. Not sure, it may be from a hatch of sawflies. Just guessing, hard to see with not being there.

[WDH]

I am with Swamp. 

Sounds like some critter is chewing off the new growth, like some insect.  Might be tip moth boring into the tender new shoots.

[Paschale]

Terminal leaders I guess, it is the needles and the new stem/branch portion. It seems like it jetisoned the thing right off. I figured it was stress of the heat and dry weather.

 Reid

I think Reid and I have the exact same trees.   

That's exactly what's going on here--I'll try to get a picture in the morning. 

I can't imagine it's a squirrel, since these are massive trees, and if the squirrel were eating things,  they'd be swinging like a trapeze artist from their own weight at the end of the branches.

If it is a bug doing the damage, can/should something be done about it?

[SwampDonkey]

Red Pine Shoot Moth

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/eps_moth/eps_moth.htm

Here is a flow chart of pine shoot insects

Red Pine Management - North Central Region

Doesn't sound like shoot moth as the 'candles' are being expelled and not turning brown on the tree.

This is not a response to stress or drought, it is definitely due to mechanical damage (insect, rodents, man ,wind). If it were just cones or flowers dropping that is one thing, but pine shoot growth does not have that mechanism to abort.

[SwampDonkey]

Are your pines near a sawmill? May be pine shoot beetles. A study in Poland showed that plantations near sawmills have a high degree of shoot fall. I think they are like bark beetles, but also attack shoots.

Abstract of the report

[WDH]

Paschale,

Look at the shoots for any evidence of any type of boring or cutting from an insect.  Maybe that will show up in the pics .

[SwampDonkey]

Any follow up Pascale? Things seemed to go quiet in this thread. 

It wasn't the bud scales being ejected was it as the bud flushes and grows? That be too simple. 

[Paschale]

Glad you brought this back up Swamp.  I took a few pictures, but none of them really turned out all that well, and they just look like a pile of raked up needles.   

I don't really know what caused it--it seemed to slow down as spring progressed, but with the dry summer we're having, more stuff is dropping off the thing, but I think that's just normal.  I've thought of just hiring a tree doctor to come over and see if there's something wrong with the things.   

 

As you can see by the picture...I don't think I helped you guys out trying to give me a diagnosis.   

[SwampDonkey]

And the branches and cones look like spruce. 

I get a back yard full of them every year because of the winds we get in fall and winter months. And the cursed squirrels cut a lot of them when tipping branches for cones. 

I got one sly bugger that's going to get in the peanut butter trap. As soon as I set it.

[Paschale]

And the branches and cones look like spruce. 

Can't get anything past you, Donk!     I think they're Norway Spruce...does that sound right?  I know I have one white pine back there too, but I haven't had any trouble with that one.

[SwampDonkey]

How long are those cones? They only look about 1-1/2 inches long. Looks like white spruce. Norways are probably 6 inches long or so. Blue spruce are pretty long to.