Solar Treatment for Mountain Pine Beetle

Solar Treatment for Mountain Pine Beetle

Solar treatment may be appropriate in some areas of Colorado to reduce beetle populations in infested trees. This treatment may be carried out with a small number of logs in high value areas. There are two options of solar treatment: with plastic sheeting, and without plastic. Below is a brief description on set-up and difficulties when using solar treatment. Contact your local forester for more details on solar treatment.

Plastic	6-mill clear plastic	No
Logs	Clearly identify infested trees with larva Cut trees to 4 ft. logs Make group of 5-7 logs, 1-layer
Start date	Early spring (mid-April, early May)
Duration	At least 8 weeks
Location	Southern exposure Open, sunny area with several hours of direct sunlight
Temperature	Logs need to reach temperatures of 110°F or more
Prep.	Water logs previous to covering Seal edges with dirt	Rotate logs Every 3 weeks rotate 1/3 of a turn
Difficulties	Plastic disposal Ants may nest inside plastic Logs may not reach 110°F Insects can chew through plastic Plastic may rip, repair with duct tape In lodgepole forests it may be difficult to find open areas	Rotation Logs may not reach 110°F In lodgepole forests it may be difficult to find open areas

Ingrid Aguayo – Forest Entomologist

Colorado State Forest Service

Information obtained from Research report USFS-RMRS-RP30 and CSU-Insect Series No. 5.528.

March 2007