Preventive Beetle Spraying

A lot of times it is hard for a homeowner to choose trees for pine beetle treatment. It is especially difficult if there are hundreds of trees on a property. Besides, it can get costly to spray all the trees. Your commercial applicator should come up with criteria for you what trees to spray.

When we spray trees for pine beetle treatment, here are some of the things we consider:

1.Proximity to the house. We consider trees close to the house are one of the most valuable. They provide shade for hot days and provide break for cold winds.
2.Health of the trees. We want to choose the most vigorous ones. We want to protect the healthiest trees so there is a bigger chance they live longer.
3.Maintain diversity of pine trees. Ips beetle attack pines, spruces and very rarely Douglas-firs. Mountain pine beetles attack ponderosa, lodgepole, and limber pine. Those are the primary hosts. Scots pines are occasionally damaged. Bristlecone, pinyon, and other pines are rarely attacked. We want to choose different pine species to maintain the diversity.

In addition to pine beetle treatment with spraying, there are several things you can to do to protect your trees from bark beetle:
•Remove all trees that are infested with beetles.
•Remove all dead and down trees on your property. Beetles are attracted to dead wood laying around on a property.
•Proper pruning.
•Thin out dense stands of trees. Leave the healthiest, most vigorous ones. Trees have less competition for water, light, and nutrients. They have more energy to fend off beetle attacks.
•Avoid tree damage such as bark damage, damage done by equipment.
•Supplemental watering in drought conditions.
•Use insecticides to protect trees.

All these measures will help you keep your trees healthy. The healthier the trees, the more efficient they are at fighting off beetle attacks.

Give us a call at (720)248-0000 if you would like to protect your trees from Ips or Mountain Pine Beetle attacks or need help with pine beetle treatment.