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Yearly Spraying

Mountain Pine Beetle - This insect is always present in the Colorado forest.  In the past few years the pine beetle population has been on the rise.  We are now in an epidemic stage.  Visit our page devoted to controlling mountain pine beetle.

Article from Colorado Serenity: "Bark Beetles of the Front Range" - click here to download (pdf format).

Cooley Spruce Gall Aphid  - Spray in spring and again in fall to prevent new galls from forming.

Dwarf Mistletoe - Spray every third year to prevent spread of this parasite,  Spraying should be done in August.

White Pine Weevil - Spray in spring and fall for this insect.  In 1998 we saw population levels declining.  Prune out infested tops.

Ips Beetle - This relative of Pine Beetle can now often be treated with just one application of "Astro" insecticide.   Spray early in the season before beetles get active.

For more information go to www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05558.html

Aspen Diseases - Aspen get a variety of disease and insect problems.  Spray for fungus problems and most insect problems shortly after trees leaf out in late May.

Other Disease and Insect Problems - Call our office anytime for free advice.

Aspen Leaf Blight
Symptoms & Solutions

This past season, many area residents have expressed much concern regarding their aspen trees loss of foliage.  As a result of the cool temperatures along with the above average precipitation we experienced this past spring and summer, the aspens have been prone to foliage disease caused by a host of fungi.  Occasionally, a severe outbreak will cause premature defoliation or dieback of parts of the tree.  If the defoliation occurs early in the season, a second growth of foliage may appear and the health of the tree should not be seriously affected.  Loss of leaves in midsummer followed by subsequent refoliation could prevent the tree from completely hardening off prior to cold weather.  It can also reduce the amount of food stored, leading to increased danger of frost, reduced growth and vulnerability to other insects and diseases.  When leaves are lost late in the season, the tree will not refoliate.

Managing foliage disease effectively relies primarily on sanitation.  Removal of the infected leaves, twigs and branches in the fall may reduce the amount of disease the following spring.  Fungicides can also prevent foliage diseases, however it will only prevent new infections, any leaves already infected will not be cured.  Sprays should be done at bud break which normally occurs late May to early June.  A second application is highly advisable during the growing season at a 12-14 day interval from the time of the first spray.

Four fungi affecting aspens in Colorado

	Marssonina - identified by dark brown flecks with yellow halos.  Mature spots characteristically have a white center.   Severely infected leaves may have spots fused.
	Ciborinia - commonly known as ink spot.   Appears as tan to brown areas on upper leaf surfaces late spring to early summer, may become totally brown by mid-summer. Eventually, raised, oval shaped, black masses form on affected leaves, falling out in late summer.  Especially prevalent in dense stands of aspen.
	Venturia - brown to black irregular shaped areas showing in early spring on leaves near shoots infected the previous season.   Leaves eventually become dry and distorted.  Typically spreads to new shoots, blackening and curling to resemble a shepherd's crook.
	Melampsora - recognizable by small yellow-orange pustules on lower leaf surfaces.  Though common, it rarely causes serious problems.

Dwarf Mistletoe - The Facts

There are many misconceptions about Dwarf Mistletoe.  The most common one we hear is "My neighbor says you can't do anything about it, your trees will just die."   This is far from the truth.  Here are some facts about Dwarf Mistletoe:

Dwarf Mistletoe is a major problem in Colorado forests on Ponderosa and Lodgepole Pine.   It is a small, parasitic flowering plant.  The plant grows into the bark and phloem of the tree, where it produces roots which provide the parasite with water and nutrients.  This process kills the tree slowly by robbing it of its' food and water.   New plants are formed by an amazing phenomenon where seeds are explosively discharged at up to 60 m.p.h. into surrounding branches and neighboring trees.

Dwarf Mistletoe is easily identified by the yellow to green to brownish-green shoots that protrude from the infected part of the tree.  Other signs of infestation are reduced foliage, yellowish or brownish foliage, and "witches brooms" - distorted branches the form clumps of foliage.

Treatment of Dwarf Mistletoe can be achieved by any of three methods.  If infestation is not too severe, pruning out of infested branches is recommended.  If infestation is severe, but mortality is not imminent, spraying of the tree(s) with "Florel" is recommended to prevent spread within the tree, and to other trees.   If infestation is severe and the tree is near death, removal of the tree(s) is usually recommended.  When trees are near death from Dwarf Mistletoe, they become very susceptible to Ips and Pine Beetle.  To prevent beetle outbreaks, removal of dying trees is strongly recommended.

Spraying of infested trees with "Florel" is the most common treatment.   Florel is a plant growth regulator.  this spray is done mid-summer when the Mistletoe shoots are in full foliage.  Florel dries up the reproductive parts of the plant, preventing seed dispersal.  This process needs to be repeated every three years, since it takes the plant three years to come back to seed after Florel treatment.   The Mistletoe plant cannot be killed entirely since this would harm or kill the tree as well.

Other practices for dealing with Dwarf Mistletoe infestations include thinning of forests for maximum health of trees, and planting of resistant trees such as Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce, White Fir, Bristlecone Pine, Limber Pine, as well as a variety of deciduous trees.

If you are having problems with Dwarf Mistletoe, please don't hesitate to call for a consultation.

Lam Tree Service, Inc.
P. O. Box 2486
Evergreen, CO 80437-2486
Phone:  303-674-8733      Fax:  303-674-1968