Last weekend we drove up to the property and immediately noticed about a half dozen of our Ponderosa Pines had gone completely brown. Our caretaker (who also runs a tree and landscaping business) said it was Pine Boring Beetles (is that the same as powderpost beetles?), and that we should take the trees down immediately and burn 'em on the spot.
Our previous visit was about a month or so ago, and I didn't see any sign of this at that time, so these buggers must work fast. I've done a cursory bit of research, and it sounds like these beetles can be a real problem -- not a good way to gain popularity with our neighbors, either. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
From what information I've been able to find, my caretaker's approach is about as good as it gets. I found some talk about applying something called Lindane, but that it may not be available any more. The recommended alternative is Permethrin, but either one is probably most effective when applied to the unaffected trees in the area. At $50/quart (concentrated), I'm hoping that spraying just the trunks, as suggested, is an effective preventative measure.
What I'm looking for now, is the real scoop from our knowledgeable CBN brain trust. [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] Anybody have first-hand experience or knowledge?
Harv, It seems to be a loosing battle around here. The tall yellow pines here are dying off in leaps and bounds. I am not aware of anything being done around here but logging. Also when it kills the tree they say its already too late to get anything from them. And the live ones are bringing anything either because of the already over saturated market. Sad to see all those beautiful trees turn brown and die. Good luck and let us know what you find out.
But for interest a very well used park in the Halifax waterfront area became infested with a ??? european beetle that was assumed to have come over in the wood of some pallets. The infected trees were cut down and burned despite much public opposition. There was a definite fear the beetle would spread.
Sometimes evergreen trees will turn brown from wind desication. I beleive this happens in winter when the temperatures fluxuate between warm and freezing.
Harv,
There is a Forest Service nusery in Camino. There is also a Master Gardner program, which in our area is through UC Davis, with an outreach office in Placerville.
I would start with one of those two programs. The Forest Service nursery has excellent botanist, horticulturists and arborists. They grow seedlings that are used for reforestation throughout the west.
The Master Gardner program is excellent too.
I would check with them before felling those trees. They may have outreach offices you could contact in Jackson too, closer to you. While you are at nhome, you may try UC Berkely too.
Best way I've been able to detect an infested tree, besides woodpeckers and oozing sap, is to actually hear it. The tree will sound like a power transformer when the beetles are active in it audible up to about 20'. Soaking the trunk in Lindane has save a few of my yellow pines. Once the needles start to yellow its hopeless and I down them and spray with Lindane immediately. The bugs winter in the trees killed that year so its imperative to burn all remnants at least every winter.
Finally got some feedback from the forestry service. From my caretaker's description, they believe it to be the Turpentine Beetle. The good news is that these buggers will not "spread" at this time of year. Too cold.
The bad news is that we probably have a lot more dead trees than we know about, but until the weather warms up and stays warmed up for a while, even the trees won't know they're dead yet. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] And it won't be easy to identify which healthy-looking ones are actually zombies in disguise.
I've also contacted an entomologist who will eventually come out and confirm the diagnosis, but the treatment will probably be the same no matter what his findings are.
Bottom line is that we're gonna be dropping and burning a lot of trees, but the time schedule has relaxed a bit. An act of nature, really, but we're stuck with the cleanup... and the bill. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
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