Ips beetles at work in Texas • College Station TX The little black bugs that infest pine trees each summer aren't that uncommon, but the havoc they are creating this year is, according to Texas Forest Service officials. Texas Forest Service tree and pest experts report seeing a recent increase in the number of pine trees killed as a result of bark beetle attacks. Pine bark beetles--which include engraver and black turpentine beetles--typically attack drought-stressed pine trees during hot and dry summer months. When temperatures cool down and rain starts to fall, the attacks generally subside. But that doesn't mean your pine tree is out of the woods. "Bark beetles are part of the natural process," said Mike Murphrey, southern pine beetle prevention forester with Texas Forest Service. "They can be devastating and it's impossible to know which--if any--of your pine trees will fall prey to the beetle until it's too late." Engraver beetles, also known as Ips beetles, are small, brownish-black, cylindrical bugs that kill pines by feeding and laying eggs in the inner bark of the trees, according to Texas Forest Service Entomologist Joe Pase. And they seem to be causing most of the problems this year. The beetles make a resurgence every year, though the attacks generally are scattered and involve only a few trees per infestation, Pase said. This year, however, the number of trees dying as a result of an attack is growing. The entomologist pointed to Hurricane Ike and the prolonged drought as two contributing factors, particularly in East Texas. A tree won't live long after it has been attacked, Pase said, explaining that foliage can turn from green to yellow to red in less than a month. Nothing can be done to save a tree once all the pine needles have turned red. "In a forest setting, their attack pattern tends to be scattered--killing a few trees here and a few trees there, but they're a more serious concern in a residential setting," Pase said, noting that the beetles can kill individual trees as well as groups of 10 or more trees. "When an infestation is found, it's impossible to predict where the next attacked tree will be. In fact, there may not even be any more trees attacked." The best way to protect pines from the pests is simply to maintain healthy trees in your forest or yard, said Murphrey, who is leading workshops on the subject in November and December. Homeowners should water trees during times of drought and avoid damaging tree roots, Pase said, noting that trees that die should be removed primarily for liability reasons. The case is different in a forest setting. Often nothing can be done for trees in the forest and cutting them down doesn't help stop the spread because of the scattered pattern of tree mortality. "Recent rains have helped strengthen drought-stressed pine trees and cooler temperatures will slow pine engraver beetle activity," Pase said. "With that in mind, hopefully Ips beetle activity will diminish and that will be good news." Landowners who own at least 10 acres of forestland can sign up for one of two Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Workshops put on by Texas Forest Service and sponsored by local county forest landowners associations. Each workshop lasts from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes classroom lectures in the morning and a field tour in the afternoon. Registration is $10 at the door and includes workshop materials, lunch, snacks and drinks. The first workshop is set for Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at the Nutrition Center in the Tyler County Extension Office, 201 Veteran's Way, Ste. 102, Woodville, Texas. For more information, call 409-283-8284 or go online to http://tyler-tx.tamu.edu The second workshop is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, at the Angelina County Extension Office, 2201 South Medford Drive, Lufkin, Texas. For more information, call 936-632-8239 or go online to http://angelina-tx.tamu.edu To RSVP, contact Murphrey at 936-639-8170 or mmurphrey@tfs.tamu.edu |