Can the infested material be chipped and left on site?
Chipping large amounts of pine tree debris will generate large quantities of chips. Freshly processed chips emit the same volatile compounds (turpenes) as susceptible host trees. Some preliminary observations have indicated that these chips will attract bark beetles during their active periods. The bark beetles cannot utilize the chips as a food source. It is suspected that the attracted bark beetles then colonize suitable host trees adjacent to the chips piles. Research is being initiated to confirm these observations. Amounts of chips, depth of chip piles, time of chipping, canopy cover, and other factors will be investigated.
