Each part of Colorado is suffering from a variety of problems. Wildfires are a concern, but pests and disease are the biggest reasons for the devastation to the forests. The Colorado State Fire Service is keeping an eye on the problems by splitting areas up in four sections. Southwest Colorado has a problem with three main health issues. By understanding more about them, it’s going to be easy to get the infestations under control to protect the wildlife. Douglas-Fir Beetle As the name suggests, the Douglas-fir beetle is a big problem for the Douglas-firs in the area. The beetles have increased in activity around the low-elevation forests, with around 3,500 acres of land affected in 2021. Drought conditions make the
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While wildfires are a big concern for the whole of Colorado, they’re surprisingly not the biggest concern. There are various insects and diseases that cause the biggest problems for the health of the forests around the state. The Colorado State Fire Service has split the state into four sections. Each section has pests that are more specific and problematic to the areas. With persistence, it is possible to get a handle on them. Southeast Colorado has two specific pests that are the main concern. Western Spruce Budworm The biggest concern is the western spruce budworm, which affected around 41,678 acres of forests in the area in 2021 alone. It’s a native pest, mainly affecting the Douglas-fir, true fir, and spruce
The Colorado State Forest Service keeps an eye on all problems related to the Colorado forests. The best way to do that is to split the forests into four sections, as there are some slightly different issues among the areas. In Northeast Colorado, there are three mean health issues for the CSFS to look out for. The biggest issues of them all are linked to pests in the area. Drought Causes Stress to Trees One of the biggest issues right now, which leads to other issues, is drought stress. The persistent drought conditions in the state have led to a decline in healthy and living trees. The CSFS has noticed that low elevation trees are among the most affected, including
Dwarf mistletoe is an invasive weed that needs tackling right away. The sooner you catch it, the more chance you have of saving the tree as a whole. The benefit is the mistletoe affects branches, so you can cut off the infested branches to save the rest of the tree. How Mistletoe Kills Trees Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. It will steal all the food and water going to the tree. This prevents the trees getting the nutrients going to the tree, leading to them dying. The good news is mistletoe is slow moving unlike beetles. You have time to tackle the infestation without completely losing the trees. The problem is that the weed can end up spreading far away
Firescapes are the entire area around your home. This isn’t just about your lot or the lots of your immediate neighbors. You want to look at the entire land form the mountains in the distance to the valley below them.It’s land that is going to burn if fires get out of control. By understanding your firescape, you’ll be able to plan better should the worst happen. How to Create Your Firescape Just how much land do you need to cover? You want to look for your house on the map and draw a circle that is about a mile in radius around it. This is the amount of land that you need to consider to help keep yourself safe. You’ll
Throughout most of the western areas of the United States, especially in the mountain areas, you’ll find the ponderosa pines growing in the lower elevations. They stick between grasslands, and often sit on the north-facing slopes for the moisture and shade. The ponderosa pines will mix in with Douglas firs around the areas, but there are some that are pure ponderosa areas. The areas these two types of trees grow in are problematic when it comes to wildfires. Why Ponderosa Pines Are at Risk of Fire Fires tend to start at the lower elevations. The grasslands offer the perfect fuel sources, and the young ponderosa trees end up dying. They don’t have the thick bark and deep roots that mature
Forest management of dead trees killed by spruce beetles. Call or text (719)400-9104. There are a few common pests around the Colorado area. The deadliest forest pest of all is still the spruce beetle. It’s important to detect and monitor any insect and disease activity around the forests. The sooner the problem is detected, the easier it is going to be managed. A few beetles cause problems year after year, but it’s the spruce beetle that is the most dangerous for forest life. How Much Area Is Affected by the Spruce Beetle? The spruce beetle, Latin name Dendroctonus rufipennis, affected around 53,000 acres of land in 2021 alone. This is much more than other types of beetles in the area.
There are a few elements of a home that are problematic for wildfires. The vents are among the top priorities. It doesn’t matter if you’re building a home or maintaining a current home; you need to pay attention to the vents. The vents are essential for a living space. You’ll just need to make sure they’re made with the right material to make it harder for your home to catch fire from flying embers. The Need for Vents in a Home Your vents will help to circulate the air around your house. You’ll be able to keep the temperatures in the attic down. Heat rises, and it needs to go somewhere. If there are no vents, it’s going to get
Ground, surface, and crown are the three basic types of wildland fires. You need to understand the behaviors of each of them. Only then can we understand their dangers, how they travel, and how they can be extinguished. Ground Wildfires Ground fires are mostly found in times of extreme drought. They burn with intense heat, which can mean they kill off even the largest of trees. It’s possible for them to spread fast as they take out all the fuel that surrounds them. Ground fires are important for the natural lifecycle of the environment, though. They sterilize the soil, which can be beneficial for certain types of plants. At the same time, they can be some of the most dangerous.
It doesn’t matter how well you prepare. When the conditions turn extreme, fire will spread quickly. You can do everything recommended, and you can still end up facing the biggest nightmare of your life. This doesn’t mean it’s not worth taking steps to protect your home. However, you’ll need to understand what extreme fire conditions mean to help you know when it’s time to just get out of dodge. Dropping in Humidity Levels Humidity in the air is a good thing for preventing fires. It’s when the humidity drops that you want to pay close attention. Look out for when the humidity levels drop to below 20%. You’ll also want to keep an eye on moisture content of small fuels.