Question
A car hit the pine tree in my front yard. The bark is scraped away, exposing the wood, and it seems sappy. Should I coat it with something or just watch for insect infestation? Should I use a spray to deter the insects? Thank you!

Answer
Pine trees heal very fast. You do not need to put any wound dressing on the area. The pine will put out a sap that will seal the wound. I would cut off any loose bark from the edges of the wound, this will allow the wound to heal faster. IF you are in an area that has a pine beetle epidemic going on now ,the Western US, I would apply an insecticide to the wound, if there is not a beetle problem in your area now the insecticide is not needed. The insecticide to use is called Onyx, check with your local garden type store for this product.