Author Topic: oh nature  (Read 2055 times)

Jake

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oh nature
« on: March 15, 2014, 10:23:51 PM »
Been learning a lot about the trees on our property. While walking around with my son today we found this fallen tree. Fell all by itself. Just over 40 foot long red pine. Peppered with tiny "exit holes". And the culprit, a tiny ips beetle aka pine bark beetle. At its best it reaches 6mm in length. think about that length ratio!

This is the second tree I've seen that has been attacked. The first was close to the garage, and when I noticed the infestation and that the tree was dying and beyond saving, I cut it down myself. This one here had to be dead for a long while and I just missed it. It had no crown left. Not even red needles.

Will cut it up and use for burning outside, I doubt there is anything that would be salvageable for anything else. The tree I cut myself, I did it early enough, and a good 2/3 of the tree is still good I could use it for furniture making.

The other thing that sucks is as it fell it took out a younger tree <10 y.o.  :( I doubt it will survive.

We also found another very mature pine - white pine - which had to be struck by lightening as half of it was snapped like a twig! There was still too much snow around it to really go inspect at this time. I'll take a picture in a few weeks.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.