I juuust bought my first place and it came with 2 majestic Monterrey pines...Which now I'll have to take down because they have a severe infestation of red turpentine boring beetles. I'll have very large holes in the yard once the stumps are ground (one tree is about 3 ft in diametre) and I've never dealt with this--what does one fill the holes with?

I'm seeing this as an opportunity; if there is anything good that I can do for the backyard while it is carved up, I would very much like to hear what you have to say.

Thank you!

Soon-to-be-treeless Meristem.

If you have any choice about this, my parents had this problem, and were told to water the trees deeply (for 6 hours slow trickle every 3 days) over 2 weeks. The beetles infest the stressed trees, usually in a time of drought. You might be able to save them.


Don't do this over the long run, though, because then the pines will keep their roots shallow and may topple in a wet year with heavy winds.