All pine trees are at risk of infestation during epidemics.

It depends on how cold it gets. The pine beetle produces its own antifreeze compounds that protect it from all but the coldest weather. Sudden cold snaps (-25 C) in early fall or late spring or sustained frigid weather (-40 C) in the winter can kill the pine beetle.

The mountain pine beetle normally flies from mid June to October. Western pine beetle flight commences in May and proceeds through October.

The pine beetle flies only as far as needed to find another suitable tree to infest. It may be right next to the infested tree or it may be a mile away. Longer flights may occur with wind or human assistance (infested firewood). The pine beetles normally fly upwind toward a source of attractant pheromones.

Pitch tubes may convey to inexperienced eyes that pine beetles have entered the tree. However one needs to look for other symptoms and signs to determine if the tree was able to fend off an attack. A healthy tree may be able to pitch out the pine beetles but the pitch tubes will remain.

Before preventatively spraying a tree there should be a local threat of mountain pine beetle. Secondly, the tree needs to be approximately 6 inches dbh. Trees to be sprayed should be signature trees (trees of high value), and be in imminent danger of pine beetle attack.

Preventative spraying should be done before the expected start of the pine beetle’s flight. If light initial attack has occurred it is possible to save the tree. The window of protection following initial attack is very small. If unattacked, you can defend your trees at any time during the pine beetle season.

The cost of saving your trees depends on the number and size of trees to be sprayed. Trees only need to be treated once a year. It is more cost effective to take action by preventative spraying and treatment then to bear the costs of removing dead trees from your property.

Anyone can legally spray his or her own trees but it can be extremely difficult to do it correctly to achieve the desired result. All sides of the tree need to be sprayed and it is necessary to get high enough on the tree (up to 80 feet) to be effective. Protective clothing needs to be worn and with some chemicals a formula must be followed. The cost we charge to spray your trees is the same cost that the homeowner would face for purchasing the chemical alone.

Pesticides are developed to be toxic to the intended pests. Just because something is called a pesticide does not mean that it is harmful. It is a well-known principle that dose makes a poison. Anything, even water, can become harmful if the dose is too high. To measure what dose makes a substance become a poison, laboratory studies are performed to calculate a Lethal dose. The lethal dose is commonly represented as LD50, and refers to the dose at which 50% of the test subjects are killed (Most commonly a rat or rabbit). The lower the number, the more toxic the substance. We use Sevin to apply our armor coat. Sevin is a mixture of adjuvants, and the active ingredient Carbaryl. Click here to see the LD of pure Carbaryl, and the Sevin mixture compared to some more familiar items.

We ask that you keep your pets, your children, and yourself away from sprayed trees for 2 hrs following application. The exact date, time as well as the concentration of active ingredient is clearly displayed on a sign at the entrance of your property when we spray. This will alert all people entering your property of the application.

There is residual action of Sevin for up to two years in ideal conditions, to protect against beetle attack we recommend spraying your trees once per year.

If your trees are recently attacked, we offer an emergency spray program. Emergency spray may prevent a lightly attacked tree from dying, but the odds are not nearly as good as a preventative spray. If the tree has already been massed attacked, it will be too late.

Mountain pine beetles usually commence their attack to up to about 40ft. Initial attackers Combine with the pinenes in the tree to produce bait pheromones that attract more beetles to the tree. These beetles will attack to greater heights, up to around 80ft. We spray trees up to 80 ft, including the major branches.

The pH of irrigation water can neutralize the chemical on the trunk of the tree. If you have an irrigation system that hits the trucks of your tree it is advisable to turn this off over the pine beetle season. If it can’t be turned off, it is advisable to have a touch up spray on the trees throughout the pine beetle season.

Sevin will only kill other boring insects that ingest it. This includes other beetles as well as certain moths that bore into the tree.

Verbenone is a semiochemical, more specifically, an anti-aggregation pheromone. (Get more information about pheromones). Verbenone is an anti-aggregation pheromone produced primarily by microorganisms inhabiting the guts of pine beetle. Verbenone is naturally produced when a beetle bores into a tree and combines with the pinene in the tree. Verbenone sends out the message that a tree is full. Verbenone is a naturally produced pheromone that works to regulate attack density so that each beetle pair has sufficient bark to rear it's brood.

Verbenone works, it is only the application that can fail. Verbenone is most effective when applied at a high density, in conjunction with sanitation

The beetles generally avoid the sites where it has been placed. This has been shown by reduced catches in passive traps placed in Verbenone treated stands. Apparently beetles that enter a treated stand keep on moving until they exit the treatment area. This is also why we recommend that the Verbenone be placed in a grid pattern at 10 – 15 m (30 - 45 ft) centers throughout the stand not just at the edge.

The beetles will generally avoid the sites where the Verbenone has been applied. This does not mean that they will enhance their attack on the other sites, depending on wind direction and currents their attack may be an enhanced, decreased, or unaffected.

The beetle pressure in the area affects the success of a Verbenone plan. If there are infested trees very close to your lot, the chance of attack is greater. It would be advisable to apply a high dose of Verbenone, or use Sevin in conjunction with the Verbenone to get a higher success.

Verbenone is for sale at a variety of local garden stores. You can purchase the Verbenone and apply it yourself. If you need assistance developing a specific IPM program for your property, you can purchase a consultation and one of our pine beetle experts will come to your property and give their recommendations. Verbenone is most effective as a component of an integrated pest management plan. Follow the guidelines of how to apply as closely as possible, if in doubt, consult with a professional.

An IPM (Integration Pest Management) program should be implemented every year that there is a pine beetle threat in your area. Eventually, the infestation pressure will subside as all undefended trees are attacked and killed. Then, you will have your trees left for enjoyment for years to come.

We have no evidence to suggest that woodpeckers and squirrels ingest Verbenone. They may peck at the packages due to interest; however, Verbenone is a message pheromone that only works to attract beetles.

The release mechanism of Verbenone is ambient temperature. Once activated, Verbenone is slowly released. To prevent Verbenone from being released keep it stored at or below 0 degrees Celsius.

Verbenone has a limited life span. Once it has been activated it has up to 90 days of activity. Once your pouches have been installed they are activated and will begin to decay. We time the suggested application of pouches so that they release an initial high dose of pheromone as close to the major beetle flights as possible.

The root injection boosts the healthy and vitality of your tree by supplying it with the optimal balance of nutrients, and inoculating it with mycorrhizal fungi to support nutrient and water uptake. A healthy tree is less attractive to pine beetles, and may be able to survive infestation by pitching out beetles.

Our root injection has been specifically formulated to support the health of pine trees. It is a specific blend of nutrients, mycorrhizal fungi, and kelp.

Fertilization is an exact science that when improperly implemented may actually attract an attack. Our root injection is specifically formulated for the pine tree.

With our root injection rods we specifically target the major root mass of the tree. These nutrients are made available for this tree to uptake directly. These nutrients are not accessible to trees in the surrounding landscape.