Now is the time to watch
for Mountain Pine Beetles! Infested pine trees will begin to fade and turn yellow or brown. Greenleaf can remove and treat these beetle-trees.
Beetles fly to new trees between July and October, so you need to act quickly to stop them from spreading. Now is the time to protect your property! Fill out our Forest Inspection Request or call us and we will come out and inspect your trees. This service is available on a fee basis depending on your property size and location.
Large Ponderosa recently killed by mountain pine beetle. Mountain pine beetle faders and pitch tubes
Are trees dying on your
property? The problem could be mountain pine beetles. The problem affects Ponderosa pine. If left unchecked, beetles spread into new trees each year, and timely control is of extreme importance.
Between July and October the beetles bore out of the trunk and fly to neighboring trees up to one mile away. The beetles usually swarm, resulting in groups of trees being attacked. Beetles often attack trees already stressed by mistletoe, a gradually fatal plant parasite. They then bore into the trees and lay their eggs underneath the bark. The larvae use the trees' nutrients during winter to grow and develop. The following June, the tree foliage begins to fade and turn yellow, while the beetles are still in the bark completing their maturity. The trees are dead, but there are several week that control can work by tree removal before the beetles fly.
Control measures include
cutting the trees and removing them from the property, or sometimes treating them on-site by enclosing them in 6mm clear polyethylene plastic. Like a greenhouse, this heats up the beetles and causes molding of the wood which leads to their starvation. A problem can develop from birds or sun breaking down the plastic. A chemical spray called Sevin can also be applied preventatively to the bark before beetles attack trees. A variety of other chemicals that have been used in the past have been discontinued due to health risks.
Greenleaf specializes in beetle identification and control. We process woods salvaged from beetle control into a
variety of wood products including paneling, cabins and furniture. Trees killed by beetles have a beautiful and unique bluish coloring. (See photos on our furniture and accent wall pages.)
Greenleaf recommends property inspections be done in the fall and control measures scheduled for the winter or spring depending on the extent
of the problem.
Current warming trends are likely increasing beetle epidemics. We have a chance to stop the beetle through early identification and immediate control when the populations are low.
