Pine Beetles and Dying Pine Trees in Anniston, AL
A pine that turns yellow, then red, then brown, often from the top down, is a classic sign of bark beetles. Here is how to read the signs, what the timing means, and when a dead pine near the house should come down.
Why this is a Calhoun County question right now
- In August 2024 the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) counted almost 5,000 southern pine beetle spots statewide, averaging 191 dead pines per spot. It called it the highest number in 23 years, and it listed Calhoun County among the counties with more than 100 spots.[1]
- For 2025, the USDA Forest Service's Alabama summary reports about 57 percent fewer spots than 2024, but still about 1,119 percent above the 2010 to 2023 average. AFC's Northeast region accounted for 68 percent of the spots documented that year.[2]
Those are forest numbers, mostly pine stands. But the same beetles attack yard pines, and a yard pine that dies is usually standing over a roof, a driveway or a fence.
Signs your pine is under attack
Alabama Extension lists these early signs:[3]
- Pitch tubes: small blobs of sap on the bark that can look like popcorn, white, pink or reddish brown, pea- to dime-sized
- Boring dust: fine, sawdust-like material in bark crevices or at the base of the trunk
- Small entry holes in the bark
- Needle color: green to yellow, then red or brown, and a thinning crown
- More woodpecker activity than usual
In a drought, the AFC notes, pitch tubes may be tiny or missing, and reddish-brown boring dust may be the only clue.[4] One false alarm: fine white sawdust around the base of a pine that's already dead comes from ambrosia beetles, which move into dead pines whatever killed them.[6]
Which beetle is it?
Three kinds of bark beetle attack pines in Alabama, and it's common to find more than one on the same tree.[3]
| Southern pine beetle | Ips engraver beetles | Black turpentine beetle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 2 to 4 mm, about a grain of rice | 3 to 6 mm | 6 to 10 mm, the largest |
| Where on the tree | Mid to upper trunk, can be throughout | Mid to upper trunk, branches, fresh slash | Bottom 8 feet of the trunk |
| Pitch tubes | Small, white to reddish brown | Small, reddish brown, often in crevices | Large, an inch or more across |
| Under the bark | Winding S-shaped galleries | Neat Y-, H- or I-shaped galleries | Broad, irregular patches |
| How aggressive | Most aggressive; can kill healthy trees and spreads tree to tree in spots | Usually goes after storm-damaged or stressed trees | Rarely kills healthy trees; follows wounds, logging or fire |
Extension notes that southern pine beetle commonly attacks loblolly, shortleaf and Virginia pine.[3] The AFC adds that it generally leaves slash and longleaf pine alone unless they're badly stressed.[4]
How fast you need to act
Timing matters more than anything else here. The AFC says one southern pine beetle generation takes 25 to 40 days, depending on temperature.[4] The University of Florida's pine-death guide sorts it by needle color:[5]
- Needles still green, fresh pitch tubes on the bark: remove the tree now. The brood is still inside.
- Needles red: remove it now too. A new generation has probably already hatched, so check the pines next to it for fresh pitch.
- Needles gray, dead and drooping: the aggressive beetles are gone. The tree can stay unless it's a hazard, for example because it could fall on a structure.
Mississippi State Extension puts it the same way for yard pines. Cutting a red-topped pine with loose bark won't stop the beetles, because they've already left. But dead pines deteriorate fairly fast, so a dead pine near people or buildings should still come down promptly.[6] The U.S. Forest Service warns that beetle-killed pines create hazards from falling branches and standing dead snags, especially in high wind, and that dead pines deteriorate faster than hardwoods because their softer wood is more prone to blowing over.[7]
Spraying won't save a pine that's already dying. UF Extension says insecticides don't reverse the decline and pines, unlike oaks, rarely recover. Removal and replanting is the realistic option.[5]
Removing a beetle-killed pine near the house
- Protect the pines you're keeping. MSU Extension warns that soil compaction and ruts over the roots of the remaining trees make them more likely to be attacked next. Ask the crew where the equipment will go.[6]
- Don't leave infested wood lying around. The AFC recommends destroying infested bark and slabs by chipping or burning.[4] Extension says Ips beetles breed in storm-damaged wood and slash, so get it cleaned up quickly.[3]
- A pine on the street strip? Anniston's Public Works FAQ says trees on the City right-of-way belong to the City's Tree Division, and residents and tree services may not cut them. Call the City instead.[8]
- Near a power line? Alabama Power says only line-clearance qualified workers should do tree work around power lines, and that an unqualified person shouldn't work within 10 feet of overhead lines below 50,000 volts.[9] Mention the line in your request.
- Insurance: the Alabama Department of Insurance says policies typically pay to remove a tree when it fell and damaged covered property or blocks the driveway, usually up to a limit.[10] A dead pine that's still standing doesn't fit either case, so plan on paying for it yourself, and check your own policy.
- Cost: national guides put a typical tree removal at $400 to $1,200.[11] Height, lean and what's underneath move the price; see our cost guide, and get the price in writing after an on-site look.
Free help for a woodlot or several acres
If the dying pines are part of a stand rather than one or two yard trees, the Alabama Forestry Commission's county foresters and Alabama Extension can help identify the beetle and plan the work. Extension notes that the AFC offers cost-share for prevention work and management guidance to landowners.[3] Find your local AFC office on its contact map, or call the state office at 334-240-9300.[12]
Sources
- Alabama Forestry Commission, Southern pine beetle epidemic news release (2024) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- USDA Forest Service, Alabama 2025 Forest Health Highlights (PDF) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Bark beetles threatening Alabama's forests (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- Alabama Forestry Commission, Southern Pine Bark Beetles (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- University of Florida IFAS Extension, My Pine Is Under Attack: What Should I Do? (FOR331/FR399) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- Mississippi State University Extension, Bark Beetles in Urban Pines (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- USDA Forest Service, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests: Hazard Trees (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- City of Anniston, Public Works FAQ (accessed Oct 16, 2026)
- Alabama Power, Residential Vegetation Management (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- Alabama Department of Insurance, Storm Damage Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) (accessed Oct 16, 2026)
- HomeGuide, Tree removal cost (national) (accessed Oct 16, 2026)
- Alabama Forestry Commission, Contact Map (accessed Oct 17, 2026)