Question
southern pine sawyer b
I encountered a large beetle in my home and learned that it was a southern pine sawyer beetle. Are these beetles dangerous? Is it possible there are more? Is this the type of insect that will lay eggs inside a house or only in trees? I am attaching a picture that I took of it before I killed it.
AnswerThis sawyer occurs throughout the eastern and southern United States and is destructive to pine logs held in storage or pines killed by natural or manmade catastrophes.
The adult beetle deposits one to several eggs in the cambium area through the egg niches. After hatching, the larvae feed on the surface of the cambium then bore into the sapwood and heartwood. After pupation is completed, the adult beetles chew through the wood, making the round exit holes. There are at least three generations per year in the southern United States.
They only attack trees that are dead or cut logs with bark on them. They are part of nature that helps break down dead trees and will not damage houses. They are attracted to light and sometimes are found on porches near a light.
Not a problem!
