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
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For thinning of pinyon or juniper woodlands, give Colorado Mastication a call at (719)400-9104. In the Four Corners region of the southwest of Colorado, you’ll see a lot of pinyon pines and juniper trees. You’ll see the pinyon pines around the higher elevations for the most part. Meanwhile, the junipers prefer the lower elevations as they are more tolerant of drought conditions. Before we had to look at ways to supress fires due to the increase in wildfires, there wouldn’t be too many of the trees in one area. Now, we tend to find pinyons and junipers create a closed canopy and the woodlands are becoming denser. This is a problem. Trees Are Taking Over the Areas Low-intensity fires are
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
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
For fire mitigation in zone 1,2,3 or 4 on your property in Roxborough park, request estimate from Colorado Mastication at (719)400-9104. If your property covers more than five acres of land, you’ll need to create Zone 4 to protect against wildfires. Don’t worry if you don’t have this space. That land will be the responsibility of any neighbors you have, or it could be the responsibility of the forest service. Zone 4 is the lowest priority of zones out of everything we’ve covered so far. That doesn’t mean you should abandon it, but the first three zones from your home are the most important ones to focus on. Getting Rid of Diseased and Damaged Trees The most important thing here
For questions about fire prevention and mitigation in Zone 3, contact Colorado Mastication at (719)400-9104. While the first two zones are the most important for your house, if you have property boundaries in Zone 3, you need to know how to protect the land. This is likely if you have more than an acre of land. Zone 3 is the wildland. Fires that start away from the home will use Zone 3 as a way to build up intensity. You can control that and slow the fires down. Managing Wildland in Zone 3 In this zone, you’re cutting the tree limbs to between four and six feet from the ground. Preventing the ladder fuel is the best way to slow
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
The first two zones closest to the house are the most crucial when it comes to mitigating wildfires and protecting the house. Zone 2 starts at 30ft from the house and covers up to 100ft. If your property boundary is within 100ft of the house, you will need to do your best to mitigate up to that point. The topography is going to affect some of the steps you take, as it will affect the spread of a fire. It’s rare to live on a perfect circle or perfectly flat ground, so you’ll need to deal with slopes. The steeper the slope, the slower fires will spread unless they have the wind to help. Watch Out for Drought Conditions If
It can seem like the best thing to do in fire prone areas is to get rid of the propane tank altogether. Surely there are other options around. Well, don’t go searching for them. You can keep your propane tank and protect your home at the same time. You’ll want to buy your propane tank rather than rent it. Most rental agreements make it clear that you have to keep the tank above ground. That’s not going to keep your property safe, and it’s going to cost you more in the long run. Protecting your home isn’t going to be cheap. It is going to be the best investment for you, your family, and the entire community, though. Why Put
Rural living fire mitigation. Colorado Mastication has ability to fire mitigaiton a large project. (719)400-9104. The further out of town homes get, the larger the space available. Rural living is the term given when houses sit on lots of five to 40 acres. Anything above 35 acres will have a domestic well permit thanks to a change of law in Colorado in 1972. While there are certainly benefits of rural living, especially if you don’t like being too close to people, there are also downsides. It’s important to consider them and how they affect wildfire mitigation. After all, wildfires in Colorado are a major concern. Narrow and Steeper Paths that Urban Living Homes in rural areas can be a problem for