Tree spraying service for Ips Beetle

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Tree spraying service for Ips beetle is one of the most requested services we provide. Ips beetles, also known as engraver beetles, are a group of bark beetles that can infest spruce and pine trees.  In Colorado, there are 11 known species of Ips beetles.  They bore into trees and create tunnels that can kill trees over time.  While Ips beetles do not cause as much damage as the Rocky Mountain pine beetle, they still pose a significant threat to trees and they can still carry the bluestain fungi that can destroy a healthy tree.

Ips beetles generally attack stressed trees, but they can attack healthy trees during large outbreaks. If other pine and spruce diseases are already present in your trees, they are especially susceptible to Ips infestation.  Trees with root disease or injury and newly transplanted trees are at the highest risk for Ips attack. They enter trees by tunneling through the bark.  Adult Ips beetles spend the winter beneath the tree bark or near the base of a tree in the litter.  Males tunnel under the bark and create a cavity.  They send out pheromones which attract females to the cavity.  Once the beetles have mated, the females create a few egg galleries.  These galleries are cleared of dust, unlike those of pine beetles.  Once the larvae hatch, they continue creating smaller tunnels throughout the sapwood.

Each year in Colorado, the beetles can reproduce up to four times.  This means they spread more rapidly than Mountain pine beetles.  Each generation seeks out a new tree host and begins the process over again.  Due to several flights we recommend two applications to protect your most valuable and vulnerable trees. Unlike the pine beetles, Ips beetles kill a tree slowly.  In fact, Ips beetle infestation may not kill an entire tree.  Tree die off generally occurs from the top down over several years.  Ips beetles also attack the lateral branches, whereas Mountain pine beetles do not.  Tree spraying service for Ips beetle requires more spray application to reach all of the susceptible areas of the tree.

Signs of Ips Beetle Attack

ips beetle

Symptoms of Ips beetle attack are similar to those of the Rocky Mountain pine beetle.

• Dust:  look around the base of trees and in bark crevices for accumulation of yellowish boring dust.
• Discolored/Dead tree parts:  When a tree is attacked by ips beetles, the tree dies slowly.  Look for lateral or top-down tree death.
• Small holes in bark:  When the ips beetles complete their lifecycle, they bore small holes through the bark so they can move on to another tree, or a different area of the same tree.
• Ips beetles:  The most certain sign of an attack.  Use a hatchet to remove bark from the tree and search for eggs, larvae, pupae and/or adult insects.
• Woodpeckers:  Common predators of bark beetles, their presence may indicate a beetle infestation.  If you do not find the bird themselves, you can find evidence of their prescence by looking for scraped off bark and large holes.

If you find any of these signs around your property, call SprayTech today to schedule tree spraying service to protect your trees from neighboring tree infestations or treat existing infestations.

Control and Tree Spraying Service for Ips Beetle

There are limited control options for treating a tree already infested with Ips beetle.  The best control method is maintaining healthy trees free of pine and spruce diseases.  SprayTech can develop a tree service plan to prevent disease and establish vigorous trees on your property.  While not all trees will require tree spraying service for Ips beetle, our experienced experts can help determine which type of preventative measures will work best for your unique property.  In general, new transplants, stressed, highly valuable trees or those near recently disturbed areas will benefit from a preventative spray treatment. According to Colorado State University there two factors that contribute to Ips beetle problems :

• prolonged drought stress
• creation of freshly cut wood.

SprayTech experts are licensed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture to spray for bark beetles and other pests. We service the greater Denver, Castle Rock and Larkspur areas including greater Denver, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, Sedalia, Larkspur and Monument.  Call and set up an appointment with one of our technicians today, or request an estimate for tree spraying services and save your trees for generations to come.