When the Ash Borer first appeared in Boulder, CO in 2013, concern rippled through Colorado’s Front Range. Since then, the Ash Borer has made its way to Ft. Collins, EAB has been confirmed in unincorporated Larimer County and in the cities of Boulder, Gunbarrel, Longmont, Lafayette, Lyons, Superior, Broomfield, Westminster, Erie, Arvada, Ft Collins and Thornton. The entire City of Boulder was presumed infested at the close of 2015, according to the Colorado State Forest Service.
But EAB isn’t the only threat to ash trees or other tree species.
The Colorado Trust, publisher of Collective Colorado, lists multiple wild animals that eat or rip off tree bark including the black bear, mice and voles, porcupines, rabbits, beavers, mountain beavers, and squirrels.
Environmental change can aid and abet the killing of trees. High temperatures, and conversely not enough cold days, have allowed beetle infestations to spread to higher elevations.
If you don’t think we’re experiencing global warming, look at last week’s flooding in Yellowstone National Park. Four days ago, the national park service reported on its government website that “Warmer temperatures are accelerating the melting of mountain glaciers, reducing snowpack, and changing the timing, temperature, and amount of streamflow. These changes are expected to result in the loss or relocation of native species, altered vegetation patterns, and reduced water availability in some regions.”
In the Rocky Mountains, the pine beetle has left swaths of dead pine trees in its path. A recent study shows that pine beetles have expanded their infestation by 400,000 acres The infestation is primarily concentrated in Colorado’s northern mountains.
As of 2019, the Pine Beetle epidemic has decimating more than 100 million acres of timber at an 80-90% kill rate in 19 western states and Canada. Beetle kill wood is hugely popular in construction as siding and paneling. The reclaimed wood is also used to manufacture guitars, skis, and snowboards, popular with the younger, pro-environment demographic.
The Beetle Kill Trade Association formed to promote businesses recycling affected pine trees into raw material to be used for manufacturing. It makes forests more susceptible to wildfire so it’s only natural that removal and reuse of the dead growth helps prevent forest fires.
Professionals like Donovan Arborists can survey the trees on your property and determine if they are infected or if any kind of treatment is necessary. With so many assailants on all species of trees it takes an expert like Donovan Arborists’ technicians to thoroughly diagnose what’s troubling your trees. The top-ranked tree pros in metro Denver can provide seasonal care or year-round attendance, whichever is needed to keep your trees in good health. They are the Tree Avengers you can trust.
