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Trees damaged in November's windstorm can lead
to threats to your remaining live trees |
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December 23, 2015 |
Severe wind storms in northern Idaho and the
Spokane area on November 17 did more than cause
widespread damage to structures and power lines.
They also made forested areas more susceptible
to infestations of certain bark beetles next
spring.
Idaho Department of Lands forest health
officials want forest landowners to know that
trees uprooted or broken in the storm can become
infested by bark beetles once the weather warms
up again, and what they can do now to minimize
the chance for infestations. The beetles can
build up populations in the damaged logs and
then attack and kill neighboring healthy trees.
Ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine larger than
three inches in diameter can be infested by the
pine engraver beetle. Pine engraver beetles that
infest wind-thrown trees in April and May will
lay eggs that develop into adults and emerge in
June of the same year. Beetles that emerge in
June often attack adjacent live trees.
Douglas-fir can be infested by Douglas-fir
beetle. Beetles infesting damaged Douglas-fir in
the spring will produce offspring, which could
infest live trees in spring of 2017.
Both bark beetle species are highly attracted to
the moist tissue under the bark of wind-thrown
trees, broken tops, and logs.
The best option to reduce beetle infestations is
to remove damaged trees. If there are not enough
trees to economically salvage, consider safely
burning or chipping, or removing branches and
cutting green logs into smaller pieces.
Forest owners can hasten the drying of logs and
green wood by placing them in a sunny area
before beetles fly in the spring. Leaving
damaged trees or decks of green logs in shady
areas increases the chances that they will be
infested. Do not stack green firewood next to
live standing trees. The idea is to reduce the
number of places for the damaging beetles to
breed and then kill live trees.
Detailed information for forest landowners on
how to manage pine engraver and Douglas-fir
beetle is available on the Idaho Department of
Lands website under “Hot Topics” at this link:
http://www.idl.idaho.gov/forestry/forest-health/index.html
Idaho Department of Lands Private Forestry
Specialists also are available in offices across
the region to assist forest land owners. A list
of office locations and contact information is
available at the above website. |
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