Pinion pine white gunk and bud damage

[Anjin Blackthumb]

Folks We just had a day and a half of rain in colorado. My pinion got pretty soaked. Today I noticed that many of the terminal buds are gone and instead theres this white wet chalky looking stuff where the buds were.
What is it and how do I get rid of it? Fungus? Scale?
Thanks!

AB

 

[Colorado]

I believe that is from some type of insect that feeds on the buds. My guess is pine shoot tip moth.

I’ve seen a similar appearance on ponderosa in previous years, although I didn’t have all that white substance. Hard to tell from the photo, but is it possible that the white substance is dried sap? That would be my assumption.

Not much you can do about it now. Might as well just embrace the opportunity for back budding

 

[ShadyStump]

LOVE the username, BTW!

I'm almost halfway through the second book right now, but it's about time to watch the old miniseries again.

 

[Anjin Blackthumb]

LOVE the username, BTW!

I'm almost halfway through the second book right now, but it's about time to watch the old miniseries again.

I used to do an all day watching binge with my pal. We'd make sushi and stuff and make a day of it. And I'm a former pilot so...worked out lol!

 

[Anjin Blackthumb]

I believe that is from some type of insect that feeds on the buds. My guess is pine shoot tip moth.

I’ve seen a similar appearance on ponderosa in previous years, although I didn’t have all that white substance. Hard to tell from the photo, but is it possible that the white substance is dried sap? That would be my assumption.

Not much you can do about it now. Might as well just embrace the opportunity for back budding

So, scale is a bug, right? Any recommendation on what kills whatever this is? I wish to send it to the pit whence it came.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

So, scale is a bug, right? Any recommendation on what kills whatever this is? I wish to send it to the pit whence it came.

Scale is a bug but both scale and insects that burrow into your buds are safe from external sprays because there's something around them to prevent contact with an insecticide.
Systemic insecticides do the trick, or manual removal.

 

[rockm]

Not scale. Wooly pine bark adelgid...

White fluff on Pine Trunks and Branches…Pine Bark Adelgid

Pine bark adelgid (Pineus strobi) is an aphid like insect that feeds on the plant juices of white pines and occasionally Scotch and Australian pines. Taxonomically they are part of the Adelgidae fa…

horticultureforhomegardeners.ca

 

[Colorado]

So, scale is a bug, right? Any recommendation on what kills whatever this is? I wish to send it to the pit whence it came.

Haha! I can relate to your wishes!

To be honest, I didn’t do anything. Just waited it out. All my ponderosas had this last year. This year, no issues.

 

[Potawatomi13]

THIS white stuff looks like dried pitch from loss of buds or end of limb. Was just bud removed or actual end of sprout? Personal bud moths do not remove buds but just kill same along with some needles. Likewise scales do not either. So what removed yours? Inspect tree well for some caterpillar. Possible Squirrel or Chipmunk ate buds? Terminal buds/sprouts likely possibility of deer.

 

[Shibui]

My initial reaction to white stuff on pine was also adelgid but they appear on trunks and shoots between needles, not on the length of needles as shown here.
Scales do infest needles but don't make the needle all white like the pic. Usually individual brownish lumps and they don't consume entire terminal buds so I'd also discount scales.
Dried sap is possible, especially given the missing shoot ends. I also suspect a larger herbivore causing loss of tips. The white stuff could be as simple as accidental bird poo (I've experienced this here and also been puzzled for a while). Is it just on one shoot or general over the tree or all/most trimmed ends?

 

[Anjin Blackthumb]

THIS white stuff looks like dried pitch from loss of buds or end of limb. Was just bud removed or actual end of sprout? Personal bud moths do not remove buds but just kill same along with some needles. Likewise scales do not either. So what removed yours? Inspect tree well for some caterpillar. Possible Squirrel or Chipmunk ate buds? Terminal buds/sprouts likely possibility of deer.

Just the bud. No leaves damaged except the white stuff on it. Maybe I’ll send a sample to CSU for analysis.

We’ve had issues with grasshoppers and I have found them in a pine from time to time. Might have eaten the bud I guess but I wouldn’t have thought they’d like conifer food.

Oh and it’s just certain terminal buds. Others are left alone.

 

[Dan W.]

I believe Colorado is correct. Pine bud tip moth's are a pain, but I've never had them kill a tree; only cause more back budding. However, once they come through the generally only multiply the next year, so I use a granular slow release insecticide (Imidicloprid), which has seemed to work well in knocking out the next generation after I have them in some pines.
The white is likely dried sap, but It's possible wooly adelgids took advantage of the weakened tips. I doubt they are the cause of loosing your buds though.