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Tree Foes

Click on a tab below to learn more about our areas 3 biggest tree problems - Mistletoe, Western Pine Beetle and Western Gall Rust. By having a better understanding of the ecosystem of our trees, and with proper care; we can promote their health and vitality against their relatively common nemeses.

Western Pine Beetle
Mistletoe
Western Gall Rust

Infested with western pine beetle, this ponderosa pine became a safety hazard and posed to spread the infestation to surrounding trees.

Distinguished easily by it's dying tips - a late sign of infestation indicates the tree has lost the battle and should be safely removed. A healthy tree will generate an abundance of sap in order to defend against this harboring pest; though far to often it is too late. The adult beetle carries a fungus which blocks the inner bark from the sapwood causing the tree to die out. Woodpeckers aid in damage by removing outer bark to feed on the larvae.

Signs of an Infestation:

Small entry holes (1/4" - 1/2") around the trunk of the tree made up of sap and dust

Dying tips; discoloration of foliage

Woodpeckers which remove the outer bark and feed on the larvae

Egg galleries and larvae beneath the bark or on the sapwood

Debris at the base of the pine made by beetles

What We Can Do

Prevention of spreading infestation is crucial - recognize the signs of bark beetle to ensure safety and promote the health of surrounding trees.

TIP: Acquire freshly chipped pine branches and distribute on your property in at least four foot high piles. The beetle will be attracted to these piles and will often die in them within a period of 1 to 2 weeks.

TIP: Leave dead and decaying trees when ever safe and possible to deter them from healthy trees. When we eliminate dead and dying trees, we force the ecosystem to attack healthy trees.

What a difference a day makes! Well worth the climb to extend the life and health of an old oak.

Mistletoe can most commonly be found amongst our native oak trees; though it has a variety of hosts. It's parasitic attributes deprive the tree - rooting into the cambium layer to extract water and nutrients for it's own benefit. Once mistletoe is properly removed, the tree is no longer deprived - vitality is restored.

Familiar? Take a look outside and you will notice that Western Gall Rust (WGR) is very commonly seen throughout our pine trees here in the Sierra-Nevadas. Developing cankers result in dying and weakened limbs - which typically break off at the point of the gall. Relative to the size of the branch; a great safety risk is posed when found on larger limbs.

Airborne - the spores spread amongst the pines; infecting one branch after the other. However, before it is spread we can be preventative by ensuring the infected tree is properly pruned - removing infected branches and removing any potential hazard.