Answer: If there is a bark beetle of some sort in the tree, then a spray will only cost you money. The timing of bark beetle spraying needs to be done before the tree is infested.
Generally, the timing of tree treatment is just as important as knowing what type of remedy the tree requires.
Luckily for this owner, we observed the holes to be from a woodpecker and recommended a two-round treatment for bark beetles, in this case, mountain pine being the target pest. Woodpeckers are not an incredibly good sign as they tend to be drawn to trees that have insects in them. However, we didn’t see any tell-tale signs of MPB yet.