What is Beetle Killed Pine?
The millions of acres of dead pine treesriddled throughout the Western United States and Canadais better know as Beetle Kill Pine. The killer of these trees is the mountain pine beetle which bores into the wood, lays their eggs, and ultimately suffocates the tree by cutting off it’s water and nutrient supply.
The Mountain Pine Beetle is a member of a group of insects known as bark beetles. These beetles live out their life cycles within the bark of trees, except for when adults emerge and attack new trees. When outbreaks are extensive, millions of trees may be killed.What many people don’t know is that a small little beetle about the size of a grain of rice is the culprit and has killed millions of acres across Montana and the Rocky Mountain West.
The Pine Beetle epidemic has aggressively devastating forests in all 19 Western States and Canada, effectively decimating approximately 88 million acres of timber at a 70-90% kill rate.
So what happens to these trees?
After the beetle kills the tree it becomes known as “dead standing timber”. If harvested within 5 years these trees can still be used for wood products and sequester their carbon storage. If not harvested these trees are left to fall over and decay, resulting in millions of board feet of kindling in our forests. These trees become fuel for catastrophic wild fires or decay which ultimately release their carbon back into the atmosphere resulting in higher green houses gases.
Is the wood still good?
The beetle carries a fungus that slowly turns the wood different colors. Commonly know as “blue stain” the colors that appear can range from blue, purple, brown, orange, yellow, red, and pink. The fungal staining is purely cosmetic and has no effect on the structural integrity of the wood.
What are the most common uses of beetle killed pine?
Because of the natural discoloration and wide array of colors, beetle kill pine is commonly used in wall paneling, flooring, cabinets, doors, and furniture. The uniquely colored wood is prized by artisans and craftsman across the globe. An all natural and organic product, no stains or paints are needed to color or enhancethe wood.
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What’s in store for our forests in the future?
Drought, higher temperatures, and poorly managed forests has set the stage for the pine wood beetle epidemic to flourish in recent years.
Organizations like the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, private land owners, SFI Certified sawmills, and salvage loggers are doing their part to improve the overall health of our forests. This collective effort focuses on salvage logging, reducing forest fuels, and thinning.
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A healthy pine tree can survive the attack from the mountain pine beetle by “pitching” the beetle out using its sap. Thinning projects are a proven method to increase the overall health of a forest even when drought conditions occur. For example, poor forest management in the past has left 200-500 trees per acre to compete for the same water source. There is only so much water in the ground therefore a healthy forest should contain approximately 25-50trees per acre.
How can I help?
Building awareness of what’s happening to our forests is the answer. Purchasing wood products manufactured from beetle kill pine help sequester their carbon storage versus letting it burn or decay.Commonly purchased beetle kill pine products include: siding, flooring, paneling, furniture, doors, cabinets, and moulding.
We can lesson the severity of this epidemic with proper forest management, salvaging beetle killed pine trees, and reducing forest fuels.
Where can I purchase beetle killed pine products?
Sustainable Lumber Co. is a major producer of Beetle Killed Pine products, specializing in blue stain pine flooring and blue stain wall paneling. Our pine tree lumber products are sold andshippedfactory direct anywhere within the U.S.
Contact us today for a free quote: Ph# 406.642.7120 orclick hereto submit an inquiry online.
