Pine trees are quite different from deciduous trees. They don't need trimming nearly as often as they already tend to grow into a confined shape on their own. They also stay green year-round, so you don't have to worry much about fungal infections developing in any fallen leaves beneath the tree. But this does not mean that pine trees never need any care. Here are some key signs that indicate your pine tree could benefit from some professional attention.

Browning Needles

Pine needles are not meant to turn brown and fall to the ground like the leaves of deciduous trees. Yes, a healthy pine will lose some needles from time to time, but the needle loss should be low enough that you barely notice it. If you look at the pine tree and see a significant number of brown needles, then you need to call a tree service. There's a good chance the tree has some sort of infection, and the tree service should remove the affected limbs before the infection has a chance to spread. If rain has been scarce, your tree may just be suffering from a lack of water. In this case, a tree service can deep-water the pine tree, which involves injecting water below ground, near the roots, where the tree can more readily access it.

Oozing Sap

Normally if a pine tree suffers a small wound to its bark, a little sap will ooze out, but the wound will soon heal. If you see a larger wound on your pine tree's trunk or major branches, and if that wound seems to be oozing significant amounts of sap, then you should call a tree service. Chances are, the wound is infected with some sort of fungus that is keeping it from healing. A tree service may need to cauterize the wound, treat the tree with fungicides, or both.

Black Beetles

If you see a lot of beetles on your pine tree, they are probably pine bark beetles. There are several different species of pine bark beetles in the U.S., but they are all destructive. Call a tree care service as soon as you see them. They can spray your tree with insecticides, which should hopefully prevent the beetles from doing too much damage to your pine tree's bark.

Pine trees are different, but they still require tree care from time to time. Use these tips to determine when to call a tree service in your area to care for your pine tree.