Southern pine beetles killing trees in NJ

[dogg57]

Officials fear a southern pine beetle infestation in Ne-
w Jersey
is worse than last year.

The insects bore into trees and cause them to die of
thirst.

The U.S. Forest Service says beetles destroyed about
1,210 acres of pine forest in nine southern counties
last year.

The state Environmental Protection Department tells
The Press of Atlantic City preliminary numbers
suggest this year is far worse.

DEP spokesman Larry Hajna says aerial surveys have
identified thousands of acres of damage to trees,
particularly in the central Pine Barrens.

Hajna says the DEP is examining what effect the
beetles might have on the Pine Barrens.
Associated Press

 

[Teegate]

Pretty soon we will have to change the name from PBX to OBX with the O meaning Oak

Guy

 

[dogg57]

"It's called the Pinelands, not the Maplelands," he said. "It's not an option to sit back and expect this will go away."
Another story of pine beetles below OBX sounds different Guy

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/article_66bd1cc7-81c6-5b2c-a0e8-e6cbcd704dae.html

 

[Boyd]

Gee, I guess we should have treated this guy better...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/nat...what-globalpbs-can-do-about-pine-beetles.html

YOU NEED TO GO BACK TO YOUR "STILL" IN THE WOODS AND TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE TREES AND ENJOY THEM WHILE YOU CAN.

 

[jburd641]

I saw the damage these things can do firsthand in eastern Tennessee. We were doing topo work in the woods around Oak Ridge National Lab and believe me, the damage made the work twice as hard. All the pines were either dead or dying and being in the woods on a windy day was very dangerous. I hope it's true that the Pines can bounce back. I bet fire is the best solution. Just a guess.

 

[lakesgirl]

I could be wrong, but there is something to this fire thing. It's a necessary part of the pines and alot of other areas. Keeps alot of things in check that would or are running wild.

The encroachment of housing developments in or near sensitive areas has caused a lot of probably irreversable environmental damage. Do control burns get hot enough to really kill off these pests? Is their main purpose to burn off the leaf litter so there aren't out of control fires?

My daughter saw the damage these beetles do when she was in AZ getting her wild firefighting certification...

While fire itself is and can be devestating, I am amazed at what can come out of the destruction. After the big fire in Atsion about 3 years ago, come May there was one area that was absolutely beautiful in amongst the carnage. The area was a sea of blue and green. Blue Flags were blooming. Been there more times than I can count and had never seem them in such quantity.

 

[Teegate]

I could be wrong, but there is something to this fire thing. It's a necessary part of the pines and alot of other areas. Keeps alot of things in check that would or are running wild.

The encroachment of housing developments in or near sensitive areas has caused a lot of probably irreversable environmental damage. Do control burns get hot enough to really kill off these pests? Is their main purpose to burn off the leaf litter so there aren't out of control fires?

My daughter saw the damage these beetles do when she was in AZ getting her wild firefighting certification...

While fire itself is and can be devestating, I am amazed at what can come out of the destruction. After the big fire in Atsion about 3 years ago, come May there was one area that was absolutely beautiful in amongst the carnage. The area was a sea of blue and green. Blue Flags were blooming. Been there more times than I can count and had never seem them in such quantity.

I see you believe what many of us here do also, we need some good hot fires. But those days are mostly over.

Guy

 

[lakesgirl]

There has to be some kind of balance. I know how scary out of control fires are.

As a young girl in the early '60's, I believe either in 62 or 63 there were terrible fires intentionally set all over western Atlantic County. I remember we were all told to evacuate and just the men in the community were to stay behind to help our fire dept. protect the homes here. (We lost only one house.) As we were heading up the Black Horse Pike towards Williamstown to stay with my G'mom the flames were literally jumping the 4 lane highway.

I don't know what the answer is to protect homes and still achieve what is needed in the pines to control insect damage and prevent the invasion of nonnative species.

It's ashame developers and most private home owners are not more knowledgable about the land they are looking to build on. Because as in all aspects of life there are risks involved.

 

[Boyd]

we need some good hot fires. But those days are mostly over.

So true. New Jersey is really a tiny state when you look at it objectively - 8700 square miles - the only smaller states are Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. The pine barrens are about 10% of the state (875 square miles). With the development and infrastructure that already exists, it just isn't going to be practical to let fires get too far out of control.

 

[46er]

So true. New Jersey is really a tiny state when you look at it objectively - 8700 square miles - the only smaller states are Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. The pine barrens are about 10% of the state (875 square miles). With the development and infrastructure that already exists, it just isn't going to be practical to let fires get too far out of control.

This also means the beetle damage will be done very quickly. From what I have read, fire is not a deterrent to the pest, nothing has been found that is. Only the cutting of affected tree's helps and freezing temps for a week or more. Almost all of the pines on my lot and many other areas in the pines show signs of the beetle, primarily the many tiny exit holes they make.

NJ Parks & Forestry link

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/forest/njfs_spb.html

 

[Teegate]

Another article.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/loca...ine_beetle_threatens_Pinelands_forests_1.html



Guy

 

[dogg57]

Good info

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/fire/docs/spb2011.pdf

 

[Boyd]

It's unbelievable how many big pine trees have been destroyed by these pests in the Atlantic County Park at Estell Manor. I only live about 3 miles away and am not seeing anywhere near this amount of destruction on my land. Maybe the proximity to the Great Egg Harbor River is a factor?

 

[manumuskin]

I have always wondered what made those little holes in pine bark.Been seeing that since i was a kid.These things have obviously been around for awhile.I guess their going through a population explosion now.

 

[ecampbell]

Do the kill the entire tree or just the tops. I was wondering if it was like a hot fire where the tops die off but the roots send up new shoots.

 

[Gibby]

I know there are other bark beetles and not all are invasive. Are these beetles doing most of the damage by themselves or are there other factors as well? I ask this because I read that in the southern states these beetles can be accompanied by engraver beetles and black turpentine beetles as well as opening the door for fungal attack.

 

[dogg57]

Nothing seemed to stand in their way last year, as they marched across South Jersey like an invading army, leaving denuded pine trees in their wake.
The exploding population of Dendroctonus frontalis - the Southern pine beetle - killed 14,000 acres of pines in 2010 and was expected to destroy at least that many in 2011.
But when state officials checked recently, they were surprised. Only half of the anticipated damage had been inflicted.
What happened?
A voracious predator, the checkered or clerid beetle, had gobbled up many of the pine beetles, helping to reduce their number.
There were other factors. Record rainfall over the summer and fall strengthened the trees, allowing them to resist insect damage.
Also confronting the pine-eating beetles was a bluestain fungus that inhibited their colonies, experts said. And there were hungry woodpeckers, too.
"Bottom line? This is good news for the Pine Barrens," said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. "We will be going into the spring with a lot less acreage affected by Southern pine beetles

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n...ne_Barrens_withstanding_beetle_onslaught.html