Hi,
I have a 4 year old fig orchard in a mediterranean region, planted in a valley where it takes few months before water standing around base dries out.
last 2 years, an increasing number of trees have bark peeling with sawdust around base. sometimes peeling is higher up.Some "healthy looking trees" would be easily disloged when shaken. so I scratch the trunk base to discover that it peels off for a good depth. Have not identified a borer. could it be a root problem (?nematode) or a fungus?

photos

thanks

Tony

Fig tree borer. If there is a small hole with saw dust your in trouble. Temove trees with this or loose all from what the members suggest.
Richie
Louisiana
Hope orhers reply

Ambrosia Beetles. Burn trees,with this. Standing water is a perfect environment for them

Concur with Richie.
Also you need to fix your drainage or those figs will never be healthy.

Thanks!
would it help to spray the bark with  an insecticide around this time, i.e. winter with no leaf sprout yet?

TB,

No disrespect intended but randomly spraying insecticides will do nothing but spread toxins in your yard and possibly endanger pets and wildlife and throw away your money. 

To kill a pest you need to;
 1. identify the pest, 2. find a product registered to kill it, 3. apply it at as per instructions at the right time with the required coverage.

Where are you located?  Best way to identify the pest is to get information from agriculture sources and farmers around you on what problem pests exist in your area.

I would start with researching this and work to put in proper drainage.  Only rice and few other plants will grow in water logged areas. 

I think its a "Batocera rufomaculata" attack. it kills a tree within 1- years if not treated.
Try to peel the bark completly untill you find the tunnel.
See the clip for example of the damage:

Thanks!!!.
we finally were able to dig in the bark and dislodge the larvae (surprised it is there so early). looks exactly as decribed in "Batocera rufomaculata" articles.
I have read that aluminum phosphide is good to insert in hole, then cover with bordeaux mixture or cow dung. what do you think?
question: are there usually many such larvae in each trunk? is it feasible to mechabnically disloge them ? I have about 100 trees/

thanks again!

I am not with much experience with this issue since i am growing in pots. but still i will try to give some tips I got from an article by a fellow fig grwoer and watching him:

1. june-sept-prevention- find adult males or females trying to lay eggs in the base of the tree and destroy them. If you find scratch marks-destroy the eggs in them. broken branches attract the batocera so always put pruning paste on them.

2.sept-feb-treatment-at this time it is possible to catch the larvae with a thick metal wire with a hook on the end. you can find tens of larvae in one tree...
put systemic insecticide (can use crude oil, Kerosene, ethyl acetate, somone told me VOdka or push garlic inside) into the burr hole with a syringe and cover with soil or any synthetic material (pastes) .. always look for new wood dust near the trees. after treating the tree with insecticide the larvae will try to exit from another place..

feb-june-restoring tree strength-I still there is damage and larvae, take out bad branches and expose all burr hole tunnels and clean the edges-the tree can collapse so we should encourage new branches from base of the tree.


Important-
Keep the base o tree dry. possible to cover base of the tree during the growing season with a window net to prevent further attacks.
also Planting garlic /basil near bye may help.
Every time during the orchard walk look or wood dust near/particles base of tree and search for scratches of egg laying sites on all trees.
Cover base of trees with nets
Weak trees are more prone to attacks-fertilize and irrigate well.


Its an ongoing story and never ends sometimes but dont worry I have seen seen these trees bounce back after an attack with better growth.


Attaching another movie of proposed treatment: דיק ןד ודןמע DIMETHOATH -ROGOR.