Pine BARK BEETLE EPIDEMIC
Why is this happening?
•
Over the last century, many of our forests have become
unhealthy and overcrowded. Things were very different 100
years ago. Our forests were more diverse. They evolved with
natural cycles of wildfire, flooding, avalanches,
windstorms and insect and disease outbreaks. But changes in
our values led to a shift in forest management. We started
fighting fires to save the homes in the wildland urban
interface and stopped letting nature take its course.
•
Beetle epidemics are a natural part of forest ecosystems,
but the old age of many of the state’s lodgepole pine
forests makes them susceptible to large-scale epidemics.
Old forests, drought, lack of forest management, years of
fire suppression, and warm temperatures all have a role in
fueling this current epidemic.
What
can we do before the Bark Beetle Epidemic Arrives in
Conifer?
•
Get rid of dead trees, including limbs and slash, standing
& on the ground from your property, to minimize threat
of wildfire.
Haul to
the Slash Sites
Rent or purchase a wood chipper and chip the wood / use the
chips for mulch
Hire contractors to cut and chip the wood or use other
methods
Use the wood for firewood
•
Create defensible space around your home and start a forest
management plan. Create a healthy forest. Both Ponderosa
and Lodgepole Pines are attacked by Bark Beetles. Pick up
and read “Forestry
– Creating Wildfire-Defensible Zones no.
6.302”
•
Preventative Spraying of un-infested, healthy trees between
May 1st
&
July 1st
Candidate
trees are normally big (6 inches in
diameter+)
valuable ponderosa or lodgepole pines. Pick up &
read “MPB
#2 Preventative Spraying for Mountain Pine
Beetle”
What
if you already have trees that have been attacked by the
Mountain Pine Beetle?
What to look for:
•
Popcorn-shaped masses of resin, called “pitch
tubes,” on the trunk
• Boring dust in bark crevices and on the ground
• Foliage turning yellowish to reddish throughout the
entire tree crown
• Evidence of woodpecker feeding on trunk
• Presence of Mountain Pine Beetle eggs, larvae, pupae
and/or adults.
• Bluestained sapwood.
What
to do:
•
SOLAR TREATMENT WITH PLASTIC
(logs must be correctly wrapped in plastic by May
1st)
Pick up
and read
“MPB
#1 Solar Treatment of Mountain Pine Beetle Trees”
•
MECHANICAL TREATMENT (tree must be cut down and entire
trunk chipped or de-barked prior to June
15th)
Pick up
& read “Mountain
Pine Beetle Quick Reference”
•
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THE SOLAR TREATMENT OR
MECHANICAL TREATMENT DONE PRIOR TO THESE DEADLINES. YOU
MUST KILL THE MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLES BEFORE THEY FLY IN
JULY. ONCE THEY FLY, THEY WILL ATTACK OTHER LIVE TREES AND
EACH MALE AND FEMALE WILL LAY APPROXIMATELY 75 EGGS THAT
WILL BECOME ADULTS AND FLY THE NEXT YEAR.
•
Become informed. Read the literature that we have provided.
----------------------
To
all interested Conifer community
residents,
Attached
is a PDF format of the presentations made at the Mountain
Pine Beetle Workshop on May 12th,
which Ingrid Aguayo, forest entomologist has prepared for
us.
We
also asked the following questions and Ingrid’s
answers follow in red:
·
Are
there maps showing tree types of the area? I know for
a fact that many areas in and around Conifer are solely
lodgepole pine forests.
These maps
do not show forest types of the area. You can find a simple
version of forest types at
http://csfs.colostate.edu/foresttypes.htm
·
Many
people believe their lodgepole pines to be ponderosa pines
and others believe their ponderosa pines to be lodgepole
pines. Could you send information on the
different types of
coniferous trees?
http://www.arborday.org/trees/whattree/
·
What can
we do now, to get ready for the Pine Beetle Epidemic and
wildfire?
Create a healthy forest by getting rid of all dead trees
and slash, create a Defensible Space, and learn all there
is to know about these topics. Read through the
attached presentation and go to the following
websites.
http://csfs.colostate.edu/
http://www.ext.colostate.edu
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/resources/fhm/aerialsurvey/
Remember to utilize the following Slash Site
Weekends:
August 30th
and 31st
8:30am to 4:00pm at Inter-Canyon Fire Station
#3
Ingrid
Aguayo, Ph.D.
Forest
Entomologist
Colorado
State Forest Service
Colorado
State University
5060
Campus Delivery
Fort
Collins, Colorado 80523-5060
Office:
(970) 491-7282
Click
below to download the PDF format file of the presentations
made at the Mountain Pine Beetle Workshop on May
12th:
PineBeetleIssues
(pdf
document)