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Pine Trimming and Bark Beetles in Placerville

Got a Placerville pine that's making you nervous? Dial (530) 240-2208. A tree trimming company that works on pines around Placerville will come inspect it for beetles and schedule any pruning for a safe month. Pine trimming in Placerville depends on beetle season.

Pines are a big part of the view around here, and bark beetles are their main enemy. Timing your trimming is half the battle.

Signs of bark beetles on Placerville pines

Adult beetles are tiny, roughly rice-grain sized, UC's guide says, in dark red, brown or black. You'll rarely see the beetles. You'll see what they leave.

• Pitch tubes on the lower trunk. These are pinkish brown to white blobs of sap mixed with boring dust.
• Dry boring dust, a bit like sawdust, in bark cracks or on the ground.
• Small holes in a buckshot pattern on the bark.
• Yellow or yellow-green needles, starting at the top or on one branch.
• Reddish brown needles across the whole crown.

That last one is bad news. UC says when the needles turn reddish brown, the tree is dead and the new beetles have already left.

The three you'll meet most

California has about 200 kinds of bark beetles, UC says. In yards and at the edge of the woods, three show up most on pines.

Engraver beetles

They usually hit big pines near the top. Look for piles of dry boring dust. UC says they can have up to 5 generations a year.

Red turpentine beetle

Its territory is the bottom 2 to 8 feet of trunk, plus the large roots, and the pitch tubes are its calling card. On its own, UC says, it seldom kills a tree.

Western pine beetle

It goes after ponderosa and Coulter pines. UC says it attacks the middle of the trunk, then spreads up and down.

When to do pine trimming in Placerville

If you remember one thing from this page, make it this. From February through mid-October, UC says, pines should not be pruned. Adult beetles are on the wing that whole stretch, and fresh wounds should wait until they're done.

So pine trimming around Placerville usually happens from mid-October through January. UC also says beetles come out most in late spring and again in late summer to early fall.

A dead branch that's about to fall is another story. Safety comes first, any month. Your pro can tell you what can't wait.

Keep Placerville pines strong

Beetles single out pines already run down by dry spells, sickness or damage, UC notes. A vigorous tree is less likely to be chosen and better at surviving if it is.

• In a drought, water deeply about twice a month so it soaks about a foot down.
• Water around the outer edge of the branches, not at the trunk.
• Skip the frequent, shallow watering you'd give a lawn.
• Don't pack the soil or nick the roots and trunk.
• Where pines grow packed together, thinning out some trees helps the rest.

If a pine already has beetles

UC doesn't sugarcoat it. After beetles get in, there's not much to do besides good care. Limbs with beetles in them can be pruned off and disposed of. A trunk under heavy attack, though, means the tree itself should go, UC says.

Sprays from the store won't help. UC says the products home users can buy aren't effective for bark beetles. UC says protective spraying of healthy trees has to be done by a professional pesticide applicator, before the beetles bore in. A tree that's already infested can't be saved with spray.

What to do with the branches

Fresh pine wood is beetle food. Don't ever stack beetle-infested wood against a living tree, UC warns. Chip it, burn it or get it gone fast, or new beetles may emerge and move into the trees around it.

Saving some as firewood? UC's trick is tucking it under heavy 10 mil clear plastic, sealed tight, out in full sun, and leaving it a few months.

Another option costs nothing. Whenever grants allow, the county's Fire Safe Council sends chipper crews to Western Slope homes. Each primary residence gets two visits a year, reset every January 1, and up to six hours of chipping each time. Pile brush beside the driveway or road, cut ends pointing out. Chips are blown back onto your property, and Red Flag warning days are no-work days.

What pine trimming costs for Placerville homes

Pines get tall, which pushes the price up. These are national ranges.

Fixr's high end, $1,800, is for a pine over 100 feet tall that's hard to reach. Chipping the branches on site adds about $50 to $100, by Fixr's numbers.

The pro looks at height, access and how much needs to come off, then gives you the price before the saw starts.

Why call us for Placerville pine trimming

We'll mention beetle signs to the pro before they come, so they bring the right eyes. And if the season is wrong for cutting, we'll still get someone out to look and plan the work for later.

Step by step: Placerville pine trimming

1. Ring (530) 240-2208, or send us the visit form with a line about the pine.
2. Mention what you've spotted, like pitch tubes, dust or off-color needles.
3. Somebody who handles pines in your area gets booked.
4. They inspect the trunk and crown and explain what they find.
5. A quote follows, along with the month the work should happen.

Related: dwarf mistletoe on pines, crown thinning and tree trimming in Pollock Pines.