Question
I live in northeastern Oklahoma and I discovered bores in my Japanese Maple. They are about an inch long, a cream colored body with a darker yellow head and tail (looks like it has two heads). I'm trying to find out what to use to get rid of this. I called my extension office and they suggested Bayer Advance Tree & Shrub, a systemic insecticide. They were rather puzzled about what type of bore this is. Perhaps a Peach Tree Bore because of the size of the larvae. Maple bores are only 1/2 to 1/3 of an inch in length. Thank you.

Answer
Borers will infest wounds and and can be controlled with the use of an insecticide called merit. Spray the area and the Merit will be absorbed by the bark and kill the insect in the tree. Or a newer product called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control can be used by applying it to the soil around the tree and the roots will translocate the insecticide to the trunk limbs and leaves killing the borers. This product will give linger protection than the spray and is easier to apply. Check with your local nursery for this product. Here is a web link to this Bayer Advanced.
http://www.bayeradvanced.com/product/Tree-Shrub-Insect-Control/concentrate.html

Borers normally attack trees that are under stress so I would also recommend that you fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. If you wait to fertilize just before a rain storm you do not need to water.