I have white pine trees turning brown and dying? Why?

Question

I have had 3 white pine trees turn the needles brown over a months time and die. They are approximately 15 years old. I don't want to have whatever is going wrong spread to the others. I live in NE Ohio.

Answer 1

several possibilities..check drainage..white pine does not do great in very wet areas..check trunks for signs of Blister-rust, if cankers are present excise them and treat with tree paint...if needles are browning at the tips of branchs and moving inward it may be affected by air pollution...if tips of branches are browning from top of trees downward it may be nematodes.  Other problems are more readily observed i.e. white pine aphid, scale. webworm, etc.

Answer 2

also check on the trunk for bore bugs, this wood is very soft.