B
Bark Beetles (Scolytinae)
Bark beetles are small, cylindrical insects that bore beneath the bark of trees to lay eggs, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients and often introducing deadly fungal pathogens. Healthy trees can usually fend off small attacks, but drought-stressed or weakened trees are highly vulnerable and can be killed rapidly. In forests and urban landscapes, bark beetle outbreaks can devastate large stands of trees. Preventive trunk injections and targeted insecticides help protect high-value trees during outbreak conditions.