You may notice a pine sawfly on your pine trees this spring or summer. The pesky creatures are more disturbance than damage, but The News Tribune has gathered advice on what to do about them.
A common type of pine sawfly people are likely dealing with in Pierce County is the European sawfly, said entomologist and director of Washington State University’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center Todd Murray.
He said he’s seen pine hedges in the area being fed on by sawflies, which are a wasp-like insect. They are an invasive species from Europe, and were first documented in Washington state around 2008, Murray said. The sawflies feed on pine needles, sometimes causing bare spots on trees that can be striking, but do not cause critical tree damage, Murray added…