Re: Boring beetles killing my pines
I've got sympathy for you Harv. We have a similiar problem in Southeast Michigan. Apparently a bug called the "Emerald Ash Borer" got here from China, riding in some wood pallets several years ago. This beetle has quite an appetite for ash trees. There is a six county quarantine for firewood movement, and we're losing ash trees right and left. There is no reliable treatment, and I'm sure it will spread since these darn things fly!
We're also having problems with our oak trees. There is a fungal disease called "Oak Wilt" that can kill a massive, healthy oak tree in a single year. This incidence of this disease has been increasing steadily over the past two years.
First the Chestnuts, then the Elm trees. I hope your pines, the ash trees and the oaks aren't following behind.
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Re: Man vs Beetles - Photos
One more visual --
As I prepared to leave for home, no matter which direction I looked, I saw a scene similar to the attached picture. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
Re: Man vs Beetles - Photos
Sorry for the loss of the trees, but it is a pleasure to watch a fellow work when he knows what he's doing.
Re: Man vs Beetles - Photos
I second these thoughts. My neighbor used to be a logger and I've learned quite a bit "helping" (looking stupid) him cut trees on his place. I've considered getting some climbers and giving it a shot, but I'd have to find some shorter trees than mine to learn.
Re: Man vs Beetles - Photos
Harv,
Sorry to hear you had to drop so many trees. You may be amazed how things come back though.
On the burn piles, you did the right thing. It is a pian in the patootsie sometimes to hang out with that burn pile. But, one good gust from a breeze could blow ashes to other combustibles. A fire may not move fast with the condidtions we have, but it can move. And, if it does, you are responsible. You are liable if it escapes to a neighbors property.
Those trees went up quick; imagine if some embers were blown to another tree that was just as dry.
Maybe I'm sensitive to it, since I worked at the local fire station for a few years. But, I have seen them escape, even at this time of year. It aint worth the risk.....
Re: Boring beetles killing my pines
Update - I read this week that the emerald ash borer has escaped the six county quarantine area in Michigan and has been found in Northern Ohio. I think this is going to be a really big problem.
Re: Boring beetles killing my pines
I live in southern w.va. and we have the same problem.The old scaby pine trees that I have alot of didn,t bother me to bad,but the last couple of years they have even been boring into apple trees,a sweet gum beside the house top was dying and I topped it last fall so the dead limbs on top wouldn,t fall onto the house.I don,t know there rightfull name but what they do is bore into the tree in nice little patterns and than they girdle the tree limb and that part dies,in the pines it seems they start lower on the trunk,there is a big brown beatle that hatches about july and eats leaves like they are going ouy of style for only about 2-3 weeks and than is gone,I believe this is the adult stage of these borers,and they than go to the ground and come out as beatles boring holes. I've already sprayed my trees in my yard that show the holes twice this year with borer spray,[its the only thing I could find that said borer on it],and when those brown flying bugs come out this year I am going to try and kill every one I can with poison spray,seven.So sounds to me like they are everywhere.I've got a few big blue spruces and they have had holes in them for over 11 years now and they show no sighns of dying,Ibelieve the sap in these kill them or hinder them because they got to be the same damned bug or maybe we've got evary kind of borer there is. RICHARD GAUTHIER