Dead but not gone. Pitch Pine trees marked to be cut down in local County park.
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The dead falling trees and branches trees pose a thread to park visitors that are near the paths.
The likely cause of so many dead trees are the Southern Pine Beetle.
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The beetle is small about the size of a grain of rice. It has migrated from it's range in the southeast united states, due to the mild winters up north.
The beetles are a danger to all kinds pine trees. The adults burrow under the bark making tunnels that disrupt the flow of nutrients. May take 2 to 4 months for an infested tree to be killed.
The Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge just south of this park was hit hard by these bugs. Almost all the Pitch Pines were destroyed in the 1,200 acre Refuge. The trees there were very large and made good nesting sites for the increased population of Osprey.
Live Pines by the river shore. These most likely are healthier. No open wounds for the beetles to enter the bark.
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