Why all the dead trees this year?

After an extended hiatus, I decided to return to writing articles again and a thank you to all those who aided me. My topic this week is on the increase in Western Pine Beetle activity.

It started in the summer of 2015. Our readers who were here will recall it being one of North Idaho’s driest summers. With little to no water available for un-irrigated trees, they were severely stressed and trees in this condition are highly susceptible to this species of bark beetle. Following that, on Nov. 17, we were hit with near hurricane force winds, resulting in significant damage to already drought strained trees.

The final punch was the heavy snow fall throughout December that froze to trees. The damage created by these two storms and added stress by lack of water lead to a smorgasbord of food for the bark beetle.

As part of the management plan on this project a number of new trees will be planted that are not susceptible to the Western Pine Beetle. We will be monitoring construction to avoid soil compaction, boosting overall health by keeping the trees well irrigated, fertilized, and even protected using some chemical controls.

Lastly, but probably the most important is the sanitation cutting, which is removal and disposal of infected trees. While October and November were extremely wet and the impact of removing trees was excessively hard on soggy lawns, the current frozen and snow covered conditions makes if perfect! So if you have a tree that is suspect of having the Western Pine Beetle, consider doing your neighborhood a favor and remove it before they have opportunity to spread. Also keep your lawn in mind and have it removed this winter.

For further questions, consultations, or quotes call today. Contact Grace Tree Service in Hayden at (208) 762-5800.