Kinda they eat the cambium layer (phloem) of the tree which is considered wood. The cambium layer is the veins if you will of the tree carrying all the trees nutrients and water through out the whole tree. This is why those lil beetles are so lethal to the tree.

The beetles kill the trees by boring through the bark into the phloem layer on which they feed and in which eggs are laid. Pioneer female beetles initiate attacks, and produce pheromones which attract other beetles and results in mass attack. The trees respond to attack by increasing their resin output in order to discourage or kill the beetles. It isn't the number of pitch-out tubes that kill the pine tree but the beetles carry blue stain fungi which, if established, will block the tree resin response. Over time (usually within 2 weeks of attack), the trees are overwhelmed as the phloem layer is damaged enough to cut off the flow of water and nutrients. In the end, the trees starve to death, and the damage can be easily seen from the air in the form of reddened needles. Entire groves of trees after an outbreak will appear reddish for this reason. Usually, the older trees die first. After particularly long and hot summers, the mountain pine beetle population can increase dramatically, which leads to the deforestation of large areas.

Yes. The food supply regulates populations of the beetle. Beetles usually select larger trees that have thick phloem. They need adequate food, found in large- diameter trees, for their population to build up. After the larger trees are killed, beetles infest smaller and smaller trees, where phloem is thin and excessive drying occurs. Beetles are being seen in trees as small as 2.3 inches as the epidemic progresses.

Popcorn-shaped masses of resin, called pitch-tubes, which may be brown, pink or white in color, will be found on the trunk where the beetle began tunneling. Boring dust may be found in bark crevices or on the ground immediately adjacent to the tree base. Evidence of woodpeckers feeding on the trunk may indicate MPB infestation. Patches of bark may be missing where the woodpecker was feeding, and bark flakes may be found on the ground below the tree. These symptoms are similar to the ips beetle, so be sure to properly identify the beetles you find associated with your tree before deciding on treatment.

Spraying trees to prevent attack is the most effective way to protect trees from mountain pine beetle. Research indicates that other methods, including tree injections and pheromones, are either ineffective or less effective than spraying, especially when beetle populations are high. The following will provide additional information for landowners who are considering treatments to address MBP infestations. Call Tiger Tree!!!!!!

The sooner the better. The earlier you spray, the sooner you will be protected against beetles that take flight prematurely . Spray season starts in April and goes through July. We recommend earlier to prevent disturbing other bugs.

You will need to spray every year for as long as the pine beetle epidemic lasts. In some areas hard hit by the mountain pine beetle epidemic, this could only be two more years. Some areas recently experiencing the mountain pine beetle epidemic, it could be 5, 7 or 10 years. It is difficult to determine the rate of spread for various geographical areas. Years or more, in some areas.

Make sure that the applicator:
• Sprays from ground level to the point where the tree tapers to less than 4 inches. It may not be possible to effectively spray a really tall tree.
• Sprays around the entire circumference of the tree and does not miss areas with large branches or forks, otherwise the unsprayed “windows” are open to attack.
• Does not spray trees if there is a chance it may rain within two hours after application. Once the insecticide dries on the tree bark, it will be resistant to wash-off.
• Uses a chemical that is specifically labeled for mountain pine beetle; it needs to have the right additives to bind the active ingredient to the bark.

Carbaryl (Sevin SL and XLR, and others) and Permethrin (Astro, Dragnet and others) and bifenthrin (Onyx) are registered for use in the prevention of pine beetle infestations. Only use insecticide formulations that are labeled to protect trees from bark beetle attacks. These formulations include additives that bind the active ingredient to the bark.

The pH of the water mixed with the insecticide should be slightly acidic to near neutral. Do not use alkaline water with carbaryl without first neutralizing the pH. It seems that carbaryl is not stable under alkaline conditions. Toxicity/ecological effects of the chemicals (for more detailed information: http://npic.orst.edu/)

TigerTree exclusively uses Permithrin for its private clients. Permethrin (Astro or Dragnet)
• Permethrin is a broad spectrum synthetic pyrethroid insecticide.
• Acute toxicity: moderate to practically non-toxic via the oral route. Via the dermal route, slightly toxic
• Breakdown in soil: half-life of 30-38 days. Permethrin is tightly bound by soils, so little to no leaching occurs in groundwater.
•Breakdown in water: half-life of less than 2.5 days. Permethrin degrades rapidly in water, although it can persist in sediments.
• Fate in humans and animals: efficiently metabolized by mammalian livers. Quickly excreted with no significant persistence in body tissues.
• Effects on birds: practically non-toxic to birds.
• Effects on aquatic organisms: aquatic ecosystems are very vulnerable to the impact of permethrin.
• Effects on other organisms: permethrin is extremely toxic to bees and other beneficial insects if present during application, or within 24 hours thereafter. Carbaryl (Sevin SL, XLR, or 4L)
• Carbaryl is a wide-spectrum carbamate that is used to control more than 100 species of insects.
• Acute toxicity: moderate to very toxic.
• The EPA considers carbaryl “likely to be carcinogenic in humans” due to increased tumor production in mice.
• Breakdown in soil: half-life of 7-14 days in sandy loam soils and 14-28 days in clay loam soils. It is not a high-leaching compound, but it is prone to runoff.
• Breakdown in water: half-life of about 10 days at neutral pH, but can vary depending on acidity in water; in river water, exposed to natural and artificial light, it degrades completely within 2 weeks.
• Fate in humans and animals: rapidly broken down, excreted in urine and feces at a rate of approximately 75 percent with initial exposure.
• Effects on birds: practically non-toxic to wild bird species.
• Effects on aquatic organisms: moderately toxic to highly toxic to aquatic species such as rainbow trout.
• Effects on other insects: lethal to many non-target species, including bees and other beneficial insects.

Bifenthrin (Onyx)
• Bifenthrin is a member of the pyrethroid chemical class..
• Acute toxicity: moderately toxic to mammals when ingested.
• Breakdown in soil: bifenthrin does not move in soils with large amounts of organic matter, clay or silt, and has low mobility in sandy soils that are low in organic matter. Its half-life in soil is 7 days to 8 months depending on the soil type and the amount of air in the soil.
• Breakdown in water: relatively insoluble in water, so there are no concerns about groundwater contamination through leaching.
• Effects on birds: moderately toxic to many species of birds and is slightly more toxic than permethrin.
• Effects on aquatic organisms: aquatic ecosystems are very vulnerable to the impacts of bifenthrin.
• Effects on other organisms: bifenthrin is extremely toxic to bees and other beneficial insects if present during application, or within 24 hours thereafter.

Weather! The process is strictly to be done when no water is on the ground of any form includes snow, hail etc... and also with limited wind. This is mostly on behalf of mother nature her self. We surely do not want to get a single drop of the pesticide in any water because it is bad for the fish, and we love fish here at tiger tree, we actually love all elements of nature and always take the extra step to make sure we are not harming the environment.

Sticker-spreader is a combination of two adjuvants. Adjuvants are materials added to spray mixtures to increase the effectiveness of the main active ingredient. If we want to be completely correct with our terminology here, we probably ought to note too that spreaders are adjuvant surfactants. Surfactants are adjuvants that reduce surface tensions of solutions, helping them spread and cover leaves more efficiently.