Question: I have globs of hard sap at the bottom of my peach tree. Now the tree seems to be dying. Is there an association?

Answer: Absolutely, and those aren’t good symptoms for your tree. Peach tree borers probably account for the death of 90 percent of all our Texas peach trees. They’re larval worms that tunnel through the trunks near the ground line. The sap flow that results plugs the tunnels and seals the borer larvae from any insecticides you might try to get to them. The fact is that our really effective borer-preventing insecticides are no longer available, so you’ll have to do whatever you can to discourage the insects from entering in the first place. The Texas A&M Horticulture website will be the place to find the most up-to-date recommendations.