Cause: The dogwood borer, a type of moth, is feeding on the tree that’s either stressed or damaged. When bark is damaged, from things like weed whacking or mowing that strips the bark ...

Dogwood borers may chew holes in the bark near the base of the tree or gradually kill off branches. Most bark problems come from carelessness from mowing or weed-eating too close to the tree ...

Unfortunately, many varieties -- especially the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) -- are targeted by problem-causing insects such as borers. Tapping a dogwood trunk with a lawnmower is enough to ...