Insects that colonize rotting stumps can become dangerous to nearby living trees because they spread into healthy wood and roots. The most problematic groups are bark beetles, wood borers, carpenter ants, and termites.** —

🐞 Key Insects Found in Stumps That Threaten Trees

| **Bark beetles** | Breed in weakened or dead wood, including stumps | Spread into stressed or healthy trees, tunneling under bark and disrupting nutrient flow | Southern pine beetle (*Dendroctonus frontalis*), mountain pine beetle (*Dendroctonus ponderosae*) |

| **Wood borers** | Lay eggs in decaying stumps; larvae tunnel through wood | Can move into living trees, weakening trunks and branches | Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), flatheaded borers (Buprestidae) |

| **Horntail wasps (wood wasps)** | Larvae develop in dead stumps | Introduce fungal spores that weaken living trees | *Sirex noctilio* (Sirex woodwasp, invasive in North America) |

| **Termites** | Feed on cellulose in stumps | Spread into roots and lower trunks of living trees, causing decay | Subterranean termites (*Reticulitermes* spp.) |

Sources: Texas A&M Extension on wood-boring insects; Big Foot Tree Service on stump-dwelling bugs; ThoughtCo index of harmful tree pests. —

## ⚠️ Why Stumps Are Problematic

– **Breeding grounds:** Rotting stumps provide shelter and food for insects that later attack healthy trees.

– **Stress factor:** Insects often target trees already weakened by drought, disease, or poor soil, accelerating decline.

– **Hidden spread:** Colonies expand underground or inside trunks, making infestations hard to detect until damage is severe.

Due to climate warming, insects are becoming more active and can move to areas where they have not been found before. —

## 🌱 Management Recommendations

– **Stump removal or grinding:** Eliminates breeding sites for bark beetles, borers, and termites.

– **Monitoring:** Watch for sawdust, exit holes, or resin bleeding on nearby trees.

– **Tree health care:** Keep trees vigorous with proper watering, pruning, and soil management to resist insect attack.

**Integrated pest management (IPM):** Combine biological controls (predators, parasitoids) with cultural practices to reduce infestations. —

**Bottom line:** Rotting stumps are not just fungal reservoirs—they also harbor insect pests like bark beetles, borers, carpenter ants, and termites that can spread into living trees, causing decline and mortality. Removing or treating stumps is a critical step in protecting forest and landscape health.