Pine bark beetles?

[TractorGunn]

Yes I was wrong about what this creature was.

I'm wondering what that bizarre creature is. It appears aggressive.

 

[Fixastuff]

I'm wondering what that bizarre creature is. It appears aggressive.

It eats dead pine trees but it’s not the correct mug shot for this thread. You can hear this thing crunching and munching from 30ft away.

 

[EddieWalker]

From what I understand about trees, they should be spread apart far enough that their canopy does not overlap the tree next to it. This would be the ideal spacing. When they are closer together, they have to compete for the same nutrients. When they are super close together, they choke each other out and become very weak. Once the tree is in a weakened state, it becomes easy for bugs and bacteria to attack it.

This is very similar to planting a vegetable garden too close together and not removing the plants as they fill out.

 

[Gem99ultra]

From what I understand about trees, they should be spread apart far enough that their canopy does not overlap the tree next to it. This would be the ideal spacing. When they are closer together, they have to compete for the same nutrients. When they are super close together, they choke each other out and become very weak. Once the tree is in a weakened state, it becomes easy for bugs and bacteria to attack it.

This is very similar to planting a vegetable garden too close together and not removing the plants as they fill out.

Eddie is 100% right about the pine beetles. They transfer from on tree to the next when the wind blows one against another. The only cure I'm told is to cut the tree down. In fact, the DNR had a friend of mine to cut down over 200 pine trees a few years ago, just for the beetle infestation and spreading. That was a significant timber loss, not to mention a lot of our effort clearing and burning. Sadly, I now have them getting started on my property.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have 40 acres of white pine and have never seen any damaging insects in a live tree
However after a tree has been cut, if the bark is not removed or it is not sawn soon after , weeks or months depending on temperature, beetles will move in and start boring under the bark.
I have been managing my woodlot for 30 years and like Eddie Walker mentioned, I log them so crown spacing is around 20 feet for best practice and to encourage new growth in the understory.