Bug Juice is product you looking for it was develope for weevils in pecans. The Log Home industry pick it up so market on web of product be in log homes just search bug juice and look for log homes. Its safe as you find sorry but tree is goner.

thanks - i was thinking about it last night and I agree the tree is pretty much a goner. Even if it survives the borers, it'll probably get canker or something else that would spread to the other trees. so it's probably best to take it out now, right?

kandituft,

Peach tree borers are the larval stage of clearwing Peach tree borer moths. Thats right moths. The eggs were laid last summer they munched the cambium up to winter. In warm weather they will munch cambium some more till early summer and emerge as clearwing moths to find more cambium. They lay their eggs preferably on weaken trees that have had borers already. I believe peach tree borer moths will invade any stone fruit tree.

You could try to save the Reliance, although dwarf rootstock is not as hardy in zone 5. Prune the tree now. Spray copper 2X. Remove nearly all fruit buds when they emerge to allow the tree to recover this year. I apply Permethrin on the trunk during borer egg laying season. Permethrin also works on Oriental fruit moth and Plum Curculio so the whole tree can be done with Permethrin during egg laying season.

If you don't want the tree saw it up now and put it out to the trash or burn it.

Label; Borer Miner Killer made by Bonide. Up to 8 applications on Peaches not less than seven days before harvest.

I'd bet your tree can be saved. And it probably won't hurt your other trees by spreading anything. Spray when you should and you will have no borers. I used to spray my stone fruit trunks in the summer every time I sprayed for codling moth. Used the same spray, diazinon. Cann't buy that now. But the sprays recommended above are probably as good or better. I never had a single borer while friends lost trees.

The Fruitnut

this is the main reason I'm not sure the tree can be saved. the bark is completely gone all the way around the lower part of the tree for about six inches. i think i've gotten all the borers off the tree (either by hand or spraying). I looked at the other peach tree a lot closer and saw one small place that it looked like borers might be (many that they could be but weren't) and sprayed that tree as well. what i'm not sure of is if it's lost so much bark that there's no way for it to recover. I've never seen any borers or damage (other than a few rabbit marks two years ago) on these tree before so this is the first year it's had them. it looks like there may also be some lesser peach tree borers on a couple branches a little further up. I wasn't able to find those borers just evidence of them being there. My spray times through my extension office are the beginning of july, the third week of july and august. if i try to save it should I spray it with something else as well to prevent any fungus or disease from taking advantage of the borer damage?

kandituft,

Under where you say the bark is missing do you see definite borer trails? Lots of diseases look like another because we see only the surface. It could be collar rot, did the graft get buried? When the tree is girdled and there is no green cambium around the wood means it is time to plant another.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crown rot

If the bark is completely gone for 6 inches all the way around, the tree needs to go. But are you sure the bark is gone completely down to the cambium layer? Not just the rough outer bark but everything down to the cambium. Hard to believe it's that bad after one yr. I would think it would take a long term infestation to be that bad. But maybe not.

The Fruitnut

there are definite borer trails ...how can i tell if it's down to the cambium and not just the rough outer bark?

It's not easy to tell unless the bark is slipping. When the bark slips, it slips at the cambium. The borers feed in the area of the cambium. If you have stripped off everything down to the tunnels and the tunnels were extensive, then all the bark may be gone. In that case the tree will die unless you bridge graft it over the damaged area.

If you're not sure, why don't you wait a little while.

The Fruitnut

To test for a live tree. You do the scratch test. Scrape the edge of a pocket knife at the base of the tree. Just under the outer bark is a green layer that means the tree is alive. If you have not pruned the healthy trees try scratching those branches and go over to the infested tree and see if it is the same.

thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge!