Chances are yes. Birch are prone to insects. If you decide to give it a try, keep an eye on it and dose it with Bonide Annual Tree and Shrub Insect Control. It is a liquid you dilute and pour at the base of the tree. The tree takes the insecticide up and it is transmitted to every but of the tree killing any borers and it lasts long enough to kill any that hatch out later. This breaks the reproductive cycle and eliminates the problem with one application. If applied to your previous birch early enough, it would have saved it.