Do solar treatments to kill the MPB work?
Solar treatment of infected trees can be effective but it is extremely important that it is done properly…which is very difficult. If plastic is used, it needs to be clear plastic and at least 6 mil thick. The wood should be stacked no more than one log high and receive at least two, preferably three, months of warm weather prior to flight time. There must be NO holes or rips in the plastic. Beetles that emerge from plastic covered logs sometimes die, but usually just chew through the plastic and fly away. A further difficulty with solar treatment occurs at higher altitudes where the plastic has a tendency to breakdown rapidly under exposure to ultraviolet light. Solar treatment with plastic is not a recommended method.
