When to Cut...

The best times for tree cutting is between late November and the end of March, prior to the new batch of beetles emerging from their winter slumber.The bark beetle is drawn to trees that are leaking sap whether they are standing or lying on the forest floor after being cut. The flow of sap can also be a result of being damaged by construction equipment, cuts or any number of things that might pierce the bark and cause it to exude sap. The sap smell acts as a pheromone for the beetle, meaning that it acts as a sexual attractant. Given the choice between going on its way and the chance to have sex, it heads for the tree...! This is why we have to be mindful as to when we cut down our dead or infected trees. Cutting just one tree puts out a powerful odor that draws the beetle right to it. For this reason, cutting should be done when the trees are dormant with minimal sap flow - winter time.

We have witnessed many construction sites that are surrounded by mostly dead piñons, apparently a result of the clearing that took place for the house site. Pruning of trees to create a safety zone in firescaping around peoples' houses have also resulted in heavy infestation and loss of trees.

We have been told that the best thing to do after cutting the trees is to wrap them in plastic and seal off the perimeter of the plastic as well as possible by burying the edges of the plastic, the idea being to "solarize" the beetles and kill them. Some say black plastic and others swear by clear. Now the official position within the county and state is to not bother with the plastic - there are far too many beetles in the area for it to really do any good.

The landfills are being overwhelmed by the volume of dead trees being hauled in. Sam Hitt, a local forester/environmentalist, suggests leaving as much of the tree as possible on the property. Cut the branches off flush from the main trunk of the tree and lay it across the hill, perpendicular to the fall line in areas where it is obvious that erosion is likely to occur. The flatter you can get it to lay on the ground the better so that the rivulets and silt don't simply pass under the log. Loss of the trees is setting us up for major erosion problems on our hillsides, so by doing this, we are creating check dams that will help to keep the dirt on the hillside until the next generation of plants have a chance to grow and take the place of the piñon. The slash, or smaller branches that are left over, should be left in place until the needles fall off. This provides extra nutrients for the soil and the new, replacement growth. Some people say to leave the slash, others say to chip it in place and create mulch as ground cover. This should then be raked out over as large an area as possible so as not to be too deep. Being too deep can keep the rain from penetrating into the ground and can keep new plants from growing through. It's a judgement call taking into account the terrain, the vegetation and the aesthetics of the overall look. Common sense will prevail.

Slash and tree trunks near the house should either be moved further away from the house and used as described above or hauled off the property to minimize the fire hazard.