Q: I have three Dakota Pinnacle Birch, which seem to be dying from the top down. The tops had leaves, but they gradually started browning and eventually the leaves dropped. The trees also have many holes in their trunks. Is there anything I can do? — Tom K.

A: I'm afraid the birch trees are infested with the insect called bronze birch borer, which usually results in tree death unless caught at the earliest stages. These insects attack only birch trees, and don't attack any other types of trees.

Bronze birch borer larvae work internally in the trunk and main branches, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients within the tree. Symptoms first appear on upper branches with yellowing or wilting foliage, which eventually turns brown and drops. As damage progresses over time, upper branches

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