Bark Beetle Wars

  

A bark beetle infestation can kill the pines in your yard, damaging your property's value and your enjoyment of the property. In very dry years, you may need to water the pines on your property..

Several of the recent winters have provided lots of moisture. The lakes were full, the ground was saturated, and most pines and junipers enough enough moisture to fight off bark beetles for another year. But low moisture years will be back... and so will the bark beetles.

Well, it was nice while it lasted, but the drought is back... with a vengeance! The almost total lack of snow pack and very little rainfall during the 2005 - 2006 winter promises to really stress the trees.

The fire danger is already high, and forest use restrictions are in effect in some areas.

~~~~~

Arizona's pine and juniper forests are under attack by bark beetles.

And we're not alone. Bark beetles of various types are killing forests around the Western U.S. and all across Canada. There's even some in Northern Mexico.

Experts attribute this bad bug's successful attacks to one primary condition... tree density. That is to say, too many trees crowding our forests. It seems that if we don't thin the forests, nature will.

Nature's primary thinning tool is fire. If we continually put out the fires, nature apparently waits for drought conditions to stress the trees - and then sends the bark beetles to attack and kill.

The tree's natural defense against this and other insects is resin, or pitch. Moisture in the ground and available to the trees is necessary for the tree to produce healthy amounts of pitch.

The experts also emphasize:

• Forest thinning is the best, and possibly only way to prevent these devastating attacks

 

 

• Cutting down and disposing of infested trees before the beetles fly to another victim will help save surrounding trees
• You can help trees on your property stay strong and resistant to beetles by deep watering
• Reddish-brown boring dust in the crevices of the bark indicates a bark beetle infestation

For answers to frequently asked questions, follow this bark beetle link.

The bark beetle is not the villain in every case of a dead ponderosa. Other pests, diseases and lightening strikes also play a part in the renewal of our forests. This early-morning photo illustrates that renewal.

Bark beetle wars information is available at the bark beetle website. They have...

"Information and images of economically important beetles that feed on cambium layer or wood of living or recently killed trees and shrubs.

8036 images of 662 species from 36 countries"

Bark beetles kill our trees and leave them to decay and collapse.

Find Expanded General News Here

Return to Local News Page

About This South of Flagstaff Arizona Site Have you read this page lately?

Return to the South of Flagstaff Arizona Home Page