09
Aug

For estimate on fire mitigating beetle killed trees, you can reach us at (719)400-9104.3

While wildfires are a risk, they become more of a risk due to pests and disease. Beetle killed trees are a growing concern around Colorado, with bark beetles being the most common pest problem.

Bark beetles have been responsible for the death of multiple forest areas. This spread is exponential if not controlled because the beetles don’t care about the trees—they just want a home and food. Drought-stressed trees are most at risk as they don’t have as much pitch, the main defense against beetles.

Knowing a Tree Is Affected by Beetles

You want to protect a tree as soon as possible. If you’re seeing the needles turn red, it’s already too late. The attack happened almost a year earlier, and now the beetles have hatched and have moved onto other trees close by.

Look at the trees near this red one and pay attention to the bottom of the trunk up to around 10ft. You’ll know if there’s a beetle infestation based on passes of resin that looks a little like popcorn. Remove that and you’ll see a blue stain fungus.

You can’t save these trees. They need to be removed before the larvae hatches to protect other trees. If the trees are already dead, don’t worry too much about them. The beetles have already left here, and they won’t come back.

Draw Beetles Away from Your Trees

You don’t want the infestation getting any worse. This means finding a way to draw the beetles away from the prized trees. You can do something called “green chaining.”

This is when you create a pile of slash away from the trees. Add fresh branches to the pile every couple of weeks during the spring and early summer. The beetles will head to this pile. If you don’t add something new, the beetles will move elsewhere, so this needs to be a consistent effort.

You want to treat the slash normally and not chip it. The wood odor attracts the beetles. From there, you can cover it up with clear plastic to create a greenhouse effect. The slash heats up enough to kill most of the beetles. It does mean you’ll need a location with a lot of sunlight for the slash.

Managing the Tree Trunks

You won’t deal with all the beetles with the slash. Some prefer the tree trunks, so you need a special treatment for this. An industrial chipper is good for this to save hassle, but you can get other tools. Bark spuds and drawknives are alternatives that just take up more time. It’s all about stripping the bars to expose the larvae to kill them. This is best done in the spring.

You can also take an infested trunk and lay it out in the direct sunlight in the summer. The bark will dry out and kill the bugs. Make sure you turn the bark regularly, so the bottom part doesn’t remain moist from the ground. Clear plastic is also good to create the greenhouse effect and speed up the process.

Call for a free estimate on fire mitigating beetle killed trees. (719)400-9104. Serving Denver and surrounding areas in Colorado.