Pine Beetles

[Uncle Timmy]

Help!

I need some advice on what to do about an infestation of pine beetles attacking the trees in my yard.

Last week I noticed a 'scratching' sound coming from some of the sand pines next to my house. I have looked up some information online and believe I have pine beetles which are attacking the trees stressed out by the extended drought. (I'm in Blue Mountain and it has rained only once in over 3 months!)

Most of the online advice was to spary a ring around the bark of the trees with an insecticide.

I've talked to some other folks who say their trees are getting attacked too.

Anyone had this problem before and have some advice?

[kurt]

I would contact these guys - http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/walton_county.html

[Uncle Timmy]

I would contact these guys - http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/walton_county.html

Thanks Kurt

[Tootsie]

Thanks Kurt

you better get this taken care of before the festiva de pantelones bianca...

[30A Skunkape]

I strongly advise you get an arborist involved. The pine beetles are a plague and can easily devastate your trees fairly rapidly :shock:

[Franny]

Do these beetles attack only pines?

[Smiling JOe]

Do these beetles attack only pines?No, I once saw a man attacked by a Pine Beetle which flew into his ear and latched on. He was on the golf course and no one new what was happening to him when he suddenly began screaming and holding his head. The medics were called and pulled it out with long tweezers.

[TooFarTampa]

No, I once saw a man attacked by a Pine Beetle which flew into his ear and latched on. He was on the golf course and no one new what was happening to him when he suddenly began screaming and holding his head. The medics were called and pulled it out with long tweezers.

:eek:

[Franny]

No, I once saw a man attacked by a Pine Beetle which flew into his ear and latched on. He was on the golf course and no one new what was happening to him when he suddenly began screaming and holding his head. The medics were called and pulled it out with long tweezers.

SJ.... you are so full of :eek: :floor: I will have to tell you of a true story of a bug in a human ear..later! :eek:

[Beach Runner]

We are having a terrible time with pine beetles in our area. A year ago it cost us $10,000 to take down pines killed by beetles. This spring we had another $1000 worth taken down. Right now there are several that are dead that weren't dead this spring. They're not threatening the house or anyone else, so I think we'll just let them fall. Then hubby can use his manly-man chain saw and have fun cutting them up.

Thanks for the link to the Gator website. I'll have to check it out. http://home.earthlink.net/~beachrunner/gatorSmiley.gif

[InletBchDweller]

yes do get it checked out now...

here is a link for info...

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/so_pine_beetle/so_pine.htm

[Beach Runner]

Thanks for the link!

[Mermaid]

SJ.... you are so full of :eek: :floor: I will have to tell you of a true story of a bug in a human ear..later! :eek:

I don't think SJ's pulling your leg, Franny. I have a friend who's a physician and she told me about a patient who stayed at a cheap motel and a cockroach crawled off the pillow and into her ear. They had to drown it with oil before they could pull it out with tweezers. The poor woman slept with earplugs for months afterwards. :shock:

Now back to the regular programming.

[DD]

I don't think SJ's pulling your leg, Franny. I have a friend who's a physician and she told me about a patient who stayed at a cheap motel and a cockroach crawled off the pillow and into her ear. They had to drown it with oil before they could pull it out with tweezers. The poor woman slept with earplugs for months afterwards. :shock:

Now back to the regular programming.

:eek: :eek: and :eek:

[sunshine]

It looks to me like they are all over 30A and South Walton. There are a lot of pine trees that are turning or have turned completely brown. It seems like once they start to turn it's rapid from there.

I have become concerned about these pine trees that I see with yellowing or browning needles. This is only my 3rd September living here, and don't remember whether the needles turn yellow and brown more this time of year than other seasons. Anyone know?

[Uncle Timmy]

No it is very unusual. The pines do not turn brown in the fall normally.

The drought earlier this year really stressed the trees out and made them easy targets for beetles. I can't remember ever seeing as many dead trees in south Walton as this year.

To follow up with my post from July; the trees in question all died. I lost about three pines in total.:cool:

[Rita]

No it is very unusual. The pines do not turn brown in the fall normally.

The drought earlier this year really stressed the trees out and made them easy targets for beetles. I can't remember ever seeing as many dead trees in south Walton as this year.

To follow up with my post from July; the trees in question all died. I lost about three pines in total.:cool:

:( . That's hard to take. I need to look up the life cycle of the pine beetle.... Is there something we should be doing to prevent them for next year? I'll check into this, but please post if anyone knows already. Our trees were't affected this year.

.

[Uncle Timmy]

:( . That's hard to take. I need to look up the life cycle of the pine beetle.... Is there something we should be doing to prevent them for next year? I'll check into this, but please post if anyone knows already. Our trees were't affected this year.

.

Thanks.

The pines were all Sand Pines, which don't tend to live that long anyways and seem to be more vunerable to beetle attack. I have had several blow over during storms in the past few years, which makes me a bit nervous- so I have been allowing the pines to thin out a bit and replace them with native Sand Live Oaks, Wax Mrytles, and Magnolias.

The biggest problem now is that I have several, large dead trees in my yard that will need to be taken down.

I haven't seen any Long Leaf Pines that have turned brown lately so if this is what you have in your yard, you may be Ok.