Pine Bark Beetle (and other wood destructive pests)

[TreePapa]

Pine bark beetles are really decimating the pine trees in this area. I'd say that about 1/2 of the wood I've scrounged in the last few years has been pine downed due to pine bark beetle. The big rounds I got last weekend were from a tree the owner said had been over 100 years old. These were all in residental areas and not native (there are rather few native trees in this area) but in many of the Calif. mountain areas the beetles are really wrecking havoc. Although I like getting the firewood, the destruction wrought by the beetles is reslly a bummer.

Fortunately, the Pine Bark Beetles don't attack houses, so I'm not worried about that. I've certainly passed on wood that appears to have termites.

What (if any) pests are eatin' the trees were you are?

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[Malatesta]

The big Black Carpenter Ants are the cause of most Oak Trees around here that need to come down.

 

[North of 60]

Pine and spruce beetle. Lots of damage and its spreading, so Im burning it.

 

[Pagey]

Pine beetles have wiped out a ton of pine around here as well. When I was a kid, you could look down my parents' driveway and barely see the road because of all the trees that surrounded the property line. Now you can see quite well due to the effects of the pine beetles. The utility companies have been thinning out the dying pines rather heavily the last few years. Totally changed the landscape.

 

[backpack09]

But with all of those pines coming down you have the oportunity to plant some hardwoods out there.... In our neck of the woods the asian beetles are causing towns to cut and chip hardwood trees all over Worcester. Nothing is being saved for firewood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Dutch elm disease has been around since the 50's but now the emerald ash borer has really taken a toll. I figure we have 3-4 more years of cutting nothing but ash on our place because they are all dead or dying.

 

[TreePapa]

But with all of those pines coming down you have the oportunity to plant some hardwoods out there.... In our neck of the woods the asian beetles are causing towns to cut and chip hardwood trees all over Worcester. Nothing is being saved for firewood.

Does chipping kill the beetles (and larvae and eggs)??

 

[mainesuomi]

We have the Asian beetle, and the hemlock woolly adelgid making it's way into southern maine. There are a lot of restrictions on moving timber from state to state. The biggest concern is the beetle making it's way into the northern stands of maple, beech etc. Maple sugar harvesters, and foresters have considerable concern.
The adelgid has killed huge stands of hemlock south of here. State foresters have intoduced a new critter which is expected to feed on them, and hopefully control the spread. It would be good to find something that would feed on the asian beetle. We have a native beetle species that feeds on downed pine, that looks a lot like the asian, but does not bore into live hardwood trees like the asian does.
On the slightly bright side- new strains of reproducing american chestnut are being planted throughout the northeast in trial stands. there is also a strain of elm that appears to be resistant to the dutch elm disease. Hopefully we can fund our forestry agencies enough to keep this kind of progress moving with these new threats.

 

[Dave_1]

Pine bark beetles are really decimating the pine trees in this area. I'd say that about 1/2 of the wood I've scrounged in the last few years has been pine downed due to pine bark beetle. The big rounds I got last weekend were from a tree the owner said had been over 100 years old. These were all in residental areas and not native (there are rather few native trees in this area) but in many of the Calif. mountain areas the beetles are really wrecking havoc. Although I like getting the firewood, the destruction wrought by the beetles is reslly a bummer.

Fortunately, the Pine Bark Beetles don't attack houses, so I'm not worried about that. I've certainly passed on wood that appears to have termites.

What (if any) pests are eatin' the trees were you are?

Peace,
- Sequoia

The official motto of the Fisher Bears has just changed; "Burn pine, all the time!"

North America faces beetle plague

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8126663.stm

Pine beetle culprit in spread of B.C. forest fire

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Pine+beetle+culprit+spread+forest+fire/1675444/story.html

 

[3fordasho]

The emerald ash borer has been found 90 miles away in Minneapolis. City of Mankato is considering starting to remove certain ash trees now to get ahead of the
game and spread the anticipated removal costs over a longer period of time. I don't suppose any will be available for firewood :-(