Pine Beetle PDF Print E-mail
The March of the Pine Beetle

See the following for some information on how to protect your Pine trees.

There are methods of protecting your trees on private property. I expect that citizens can get municipalities to review the economics of protecting trees on city and municipal land. We can't save them all but we can save a few.

With a good cost benefit analysis the cost of cutting, transporting, killing the resident beetles and eggs may be much more expensive than initial prevention. The cost for public tree care or disposal will be borne by the tax payer, that is you and me.

You can email me additional information to post - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
I am no expert. I just plow through the stuff on the web to see what others are saying and doing. There seems to be nothing definitive except that left unchecked, the MPB is going to kill your pines. I suppose that if the solution was simple then BC Ministry of Forests would have had the problem under control years ago.

From a quick analysis of web site information I have found:
  • most think it is unstoppable and we just must cope with the cleanup
  • injection of insecticides directly into the tree does not work
  • trees under stress are targetted by MPB
  • watering of trees during dry season reduces stress
  • heavy application of insecticide to bark up to 30 ft may be effective
  • pheromones seem to work, haven't seen studies
  • no mention of "wrapping trees" except in Kelowna experiment

    Kelowna Daily Courier - Kelowna tries wrapping trees to save them from beetle
  • mentions that pheromones do not work
  • Arborists from most Valley communities plan to meet in Kelowna 2006 Nov. 6 to compare notes.


    Here is one BC site that seems to have lots of info
    www.techmist.com/services.php>
    The techmist folks seems to use, for the cheapest bronze package, Verbenone, a pheromone pouch nailed to tree. This is $26/tree (per season I think).
    There are more expensive options going up to $86 per tree.


    There is a mention of MSMA insecticide
    www.pfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/entomology/mpb/management/direct/removing_e.html

    Sevin spraying
    http://www.ag.arizona.edu/extension/fh/pdf_files/preventative_spraying.pdf

    tree injection
    http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/Web/032TreeInjectionsImplants.pdf

    http://www.treehelp.com/shopping/product-detail.asp?Product_ID=2554
    - does not mention sevin or MPB - not avail in Canada

    http://fwf.ag.utk.edu/sites/spb/pine2/faq.htm
    - for pine beetle - injection not recommended - see section 5

    http://ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/fh/PrescottBarkBeetles.pdf
    - removal of tree may be more expensive than saving it,
    - improve tree vigor by irrigation during dry season.

    http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/shared/article.asp?DocumentID=355&mc=forest
    - not much prevention for pine beetles
    - systemic insecticide not recommended for pine bark beetles

    http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20060922/NEWS/60922005
    - injection for MPB
    - no chemical info
    - a test, no results yet

    California Forest Pest Council
  • powerpoint presentation on tests - not sure what the results mean

    Bark Beetle Control
  • "injection ... has been shown to be completely ineffective in killing bark beetles or larvae already in the tree"

    Canada Federal Gov Website
  • "New - 2007 June

    News Release - 2007 June
  • Minister Lunn Announces $39.6 Million for Next Phase of Mountain Pine Beetle Response 
    		•
     
    < Prev   Next >
    [ Back ]