How to Get Rid of Bark Beetles
Bark beetles and other tree pests are not only a nuisance to humans, but they can cause significant damage to our trees. When pests nest and take over a tree, they can cause damage, spread disease, and put the tree under stress. This weakens the tree and can cause it to become hazardous on your property because when trees are weak, they are dangerous, especially during windstorms.
When do beetles begin to nest in trees?
When spring comes around in Western Washington and temperatures begin to rise to around 65 to 70 degrees, bark beetles begin their active cycle of leaving their tree in search of food, a place to nest, and a mate. Oftentimes, the beetles come back to the tree they left, or a tree nearby.
How can you prevent beetles from nesting in your trees?
There are several services that can be done to help prevent bark beetles. Services such as crown thinning or tree centering that reduce the foliage in the tree can be effective because it eliminates the overgrowth in the tree’s crown where beetles and other pests thrive. Another highly recommended option to stop beetles from nesting in your trees is pheromones, which are a specific service for bark beetle prevention.
What are pheromones and how do they prevent bark beetles?
When a female beetle bores into a tree, she releases a pheromone to attract mates. As the males make their home in that tree, they claim their residency by releasing a pheromone that tells other males to go elsewhere. To prevent bark beetles from nesting in your trees, we use a synthetic version of this hormone to effectively tell beetles that the tree is occupied and that they need to find another area to nest.
Not only are pheromones a highly effective way to stop bark beetle attacks on your trees, but they are completely non-toxic to any life surrounding your tree or the environment. This is also a very cost-effective way to eliminate a potentially expensive issue. That is, when trees are taken over by beetles, the damage can be significant and require additional services to repair your tree or damage to your property. Servicing your trees with pheromones before springtime when bark beetle nesting begins is a great way to help ensure the safety of your trees against these pests.
If you want to prevent bark beetles in your trees, schedule a no-cost consultation online or with one of our field representatives to have one of our local, professional arborists consult with you on the best way to proceed.