Bend, OR. Arborist scene

[southsoundtree]

Looking for any input on the arborist scene in Bend, OR, as possible migration point. Anyone know anyone down there? Any of the tree businesses, in Central Oregon?

I imagine a lot of defensible space type work. Trees aren't too big in Bend area. But, there's Smith Rocks.

 

[lumberjackson]

plenty of pine beetle over there to take care of.

 

[southsoundtree]

I take it dead MPB trees? Pine in general is less attractive.

My wife may look into a position out of Bend with the USFS.
She'd move first, and I'd transition between the two, selling my business here as a package, which is a big reason that my name is not attached (and people have a hard time knowing how to spell it after hearing it Sean Shawn Shaun Shawon Croll Krol Crol Crow Krole Krull).



Is there a protective injectable insectacide for MPB?

 

[The_Archdruid]

No injectables listed for MPB or any other of the related dendroctonus species . . . and not much can be done once they do gain entry in a tree. Applications for prevention are sprayed all over the main bole, up to the top of the crown, til the point of runoff. I use carbaryl (Sevin) in a 2% a.i. solution, but I know others use bifenthrin (Onyx) and permethrin (Astro); years ago I read a Forest Service study of the main preventative treatments, and I seem to remember that carbaryl was the most effective in those trials . . .

Spraying this crap is not fun - all the labels will tell you how bad it can get for you. It can render you stupid and dead before you can drive home. It requires considerable effort, and not many are willing to pay for that, especially in yearly aps.

So, most "arborists" I know are selling injections of imidacloprid as beetle and borer prevention and charging the usual profits. Total horrorshow. I once bid to remove about 30 spruce trees that had been killed by D. rufipennis, close and ugly cousin of the MPB, and almost every tree had been injected by a certified arborist. So the poor woman loses both her trees and the money; it was like finding out your brokers are Bernie Madoff and the Son of Sam.

 

[southsoundtree]

Any anti-aggregation pheremone mimics for MPB? Once a tree if full of beetles, they send off the anti-aggregation pheremone to tell the rest of the beetles to move on.

Any green log trapping of insects to reduce the numbers of beetles in the live trees? I heard about this in Tahoe, where one canyon that we worked for NV Div. of Forestry had 1-2 dead trees per live tree due to bark beetles (I forget which were affecting those trees).

Sounds like management is about healthy trees in properly stocked stands.




Archdruid,
Sounds to me like thieving treeworkers/ CA similar to those telling people that paying them to top their trees will make them safer. Glad to get lumped in with those guys.

Why are you spraying such dangerous stuff? What PPE can you use for it?

Thx.

 

[speelyei]

Sean, if you're looking at making a move based on proximity to a destination climbing area, I'd put other areas well ahead of Bend. Las Vegas puts you minutes from Red Rocks, and there are any number of towns in Northern and Central California along the I-5 that will put you a few hours from every kind of climbing imagineable.

Have you climbed at Smith before? It's been ten years since I last climbed at Smith, but I climbed and guided there for a few years... if you've never been and are planning a trip, I can give you some beta on a few "don't miss" routes, depending on your preferences...

Oh yeah, and my .02 on Bend, it used to be a cute little Central Oregon town, now it looks like something Fresno threw up... Wal-Marts, sprawl, tons of yuppies upside down in expensive condos driving banana yellow SUVs... I guess time doesn't stand still...