The Forestry Forum

I found 5 big pine trees in a bunch on my place that were dead. Straw still on them but all brown. I got them cut and skidded out asap. All were definitely infested with pine bark beetle. We had a big problem with them after the hurricanes but it looked like they had about run the course. Now they're back. These were mature trees all 18-24 dbh. I don't really need the logs right now, but one takes what nature provides.

I have been checking a lot of dead pine here in East Texas, and the majority have been done in by Ips engraver beetle, the southern pine beetle is in short supply.  I check one tree I just knew had SPB and found Ips grandicollis, big Ips. 

Damage from two hurricanes and now the drought are doing a job on our southern pines, particularly shortleaf, which is probable a little out of its preferred range where I am.

The swath they cut here is massive. Apparently they have pretty much run their course because the food supply is gone but as soon as healthy pine returns so will they. We needed a good cold snap around the end of October before they were prepared but it never happened.

The Loblolly I'm losing now is due to the drought. I quit counting how many pine I cut the last two years due to the IPS beetle. This year it's the drought. I'm loosing hardwood at about a 10 to 1 ratio on the pine. Firewood is going to be cheap in these parts.
The only up side to this is the tree crews and the saw shops that service their equipment are making money.