In the early spring of 2025, three lovely potted fig trees were stretching their limbs and yawning off winter, ready to burst into leaf. I was feeling pretty proud as a fig parent, honestly. But then, I noticed something… weird.
Tiny noodle-like strands were poking out of the trunks. Not spaghetti. Not worms. It looked like the trees were sneezing out sawdust. Suspicious and mildly horrified, I turned to the Internet, where all nightmares begin.
The diagnosis? Ambrosia beetles. Tiny bugs, no bigger than a grain of rice, with a talent for destruction and drama. They tunnel into stressed or weakened trees like little lumberjacks, leaving behind perfectly round holes and those unsettling noodles. As if that weren’t enough, they also bring fungus, like bad house-guests who show up uninvited and immediately clog the plumbing.
The trees weren’t just sick. They were doomed. And worse, these beetles have no concept of boundaries. They were ready to move on to the neighbors.
So, with great sadness (and a little cursing), I made the executive decision: all three fig trees had to go. They were carefully disposed of, with full honors and a stern warning to the rest of the garden.
RIP, figs. You were too sweet for this world—and apparently too tasty for beetles.
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Stay tuned, keep on rootin’ and happy growing!
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