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Arborists say trees aren't termite-safe
But exterminator defends his treatment delivery method
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
By Michelle J. Nealy
Staff writer
Many of New Orleans' majestic oaks survived Katrina's winds and post-hurricane floodwaters, but two local arborists are concerned that insufficient treatment for Formosan termites still could lead to the demise of some trees.
The arborists say roughly 11 percent of trees on city property were treated incorrectly for termite infestation -- meaning injections of insecticide were not deep enough -- and those trees could perish unless the situation is corrected.
But a local company doing the work said it drilled numerous holes into termite-infested trees, and also treated the soil around them. The arborists simply may be viewing trees well after the holes had closed up, a spokesman said.
"The trees close in the holes in about a week," said Jack Payne Sr. of Metairie-based Payne Exterminating. "If the arborist waited as much as a week or so to view the hole, it would be pretty much closed. The tree repairs itself and fills in the hole -- it's three-eighths of an inch in diameter."
Jean Fahr, executive director for Parkway Partners, a nonprofit organization that maintains the city's neutral grounds, playgrounds and parks, agreed with Payne that the trees have been properly treated.
But Adrian Juttner, a licensed arborist, said he thinks hundreds of the city's oak trees, as well as pecan trees, on public property remain infested with termites and in need of more treatment.
"I've been saying for years that termites were ruining the trees in New Orleans," Juttner said. "These trees serve as protection during storms and hurricanes. If left untreated, many will decay and topple."
Drilling questions
Bob Odom, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, said relieving the trees of termites is a relatively straightforward task. "Drill to core of the tree. If it is hollow, pump in some chemicals. That kills the termites," Odom said.
Another licensed arborist, who asked not to be identified, said he also thinks some trees were not drilled deeply enough before insecticide was pumped in.
After meticulously inspecting 12 trees near his St. Charles Avenue residence, the arborist said that only one of the trees had been drilled to its core. He said the remainder of trees had drill indentations that went only an inch deep, failing to penetrate the tree cavity. The average diameter of an oak tree is 12 to 14 inches.
According to LSU entomologist Dennis Ring, drillers must penetrate the trees' inner cavity for the insecticide to be effective. "Formosan termites are going to be in the center of the tree. They can be found on the outside too, but usually they are inside. You have got to (drill to) the void in the tree. If you don't get insecticide on the termites, you are not going to kill them, and sometimes they can be 40 and 50 feet high in the tree," Ring said.
Payne said his company knows the correct way to treat termites and did the work precisely.
"Every tree we treated was drilled until we reached the hollow of the tree or the end of our 18-inch bit," he said.
Termite-infested trees pose no immediate threat to the surrounding community, but if left untreated, falling limbs from the trees can prove dangerous.
"In some cases, the termites are eating the tree faster than the tree is growing," Juttner said. "When a tree is overtaken by termites, the bark will decay and break. The tree's limbs will fall first, and there have been cases where whole trees have fallen on people's houses."
Michael Carroll, director of the city of News Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, said it would cost a resident "anywhere from $25 to $200" to treat a termite-infested tree.
To alleviate the cost, the city partnered with Parkway Partners, a nonprofit organization that hired Payne Exterminating. Jack Payne Jr., a licensed exterminator, explained his company's step-by-step procedure: "We drill seven holes in the tree. Four are drilled around the base of the tree, and three more spiral up around the top of the tree. We pump Termidor in the soil 3 feet below the tree, and we spray around the base of the trunk to provide the tree with a good barrier of protection."
Fahr said she would check into the arborists' concerns but had not received any complaints about improperly treated trees. "Trees were treated according to specifications provided by the state," she said.
Not every expert, however, agreed with Payne Sr. that holes drilled into oak trees close up in a week or so.
"The amount of times differs depending on the species but on average, the holes usually close within a year," Carroll said.
Juttner added, "Fast-growing trees in New Orleans will plug a hole in a few months."
Recent resurgence
Formosan termites were first brought to the New Orleans area via ships from the Far East after World War II.
In 2002, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry treated 143,000 termite-infested trees in New Orleans and Lake Charles in an effort to stem the damage to city buildings, which had reached millions of dollars.
The program slowed the proliferation of termites until recently. The resurgence of termite infestation in trees is due in part to Hurricane Katrina, Juttner said.
"Trees were highly stressed by the wind and the water of the hurricane, causing them to become weak and more susceptible to termites," he said.
. . . . . . .
Michelle J. Nealy can be reached at mnealy@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3452.
But exterminator defends his treatment delivery method
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
By Michelle J. Nealy
Staff writer
Many of New Orleans' majestic oaks survived Katrina's winds and post-hurricane floodwaters, but two local arborists are concerned that insufficient treatment for Formosan termites still could lead to the demise of some trees.
The arborists say roughly 11 percent of trees on city property were treated incorrectly for termite infestation -- meaning injections of insecticide were not deep enough -- and those trees could perish unless the situation is corrected.
But a local company doing the work said it drilled numerous holes into termite-infested trees, and also treated the soil around them. The arborists simply may be viewing trees well after the holes had closed up, a spokesman said.
"The trees close in the holes in about a week," said Jack Payne Sr. of Metairie-based Payne Exterminating. "If the arborist waited as much as a week or so to view the hole, it would be pretty much closed. The tree repairs itself and fills in the hole -- it's three-eighths of an inch in diameter."
Jean Fahr, executive director for Parkway Partners, a nonprofit organization that maintains the city's neutral grounds, playgrounds and parks, agreed with Payne that the trees have been properly treated.
But Adrian Juttner, a licensed arborist, said he thinks hundreds of the city's oak trees, as well as pecan trees, on public property remain infested with termites and in need of more treatment.
"I've been saying for years that termites were ruining the trees in New Orleans," Juttner said. "These trees serve as protection during storms and hurricanes. If left untreated, many will decay and topple."
Drilling questions
Bob Odom, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, said relieving the trees of termites is a relatively straightforward task. "Drill to core of the tree. If it is hollow, pump in some chemicals. That kills the termites," Odom said.
Another licensed arborist, who asked not to be identified, said he also thinks some trees were not drilled deeply enough before insecticide was pumped in.
After meticulously inspecting 12 trees near his St. Charles Avenue residence, the arborist said that only one of the trees had been drilled to its core. He said the remainder of trees had drill indentations that went only an inch deep, failing to penetrate the tree cavity. The average diameter of an oak tree is 12 to 14 inches.
According to LSU entomologist Dennis Ring, drillers must penetrate the trees' inner cavity for the insecticide to be effective. "Formosan termites are going to be in the center of the tree. They can be found on the outside too, but usually they are inside. You have got to (drill to) the void in the tree. If you don't get insecticide on the termites, you are not going to kill them, and sometimes they can be 40 and 50 feet high in the tree," Ring said.
Payne said his company knows the correct way to treat termites and did the work precisely.
"Every tree we treated was drilled until we reached the hollow of the tree or the end of our 18-inch bit," he said.
Termite-infested trees pose no immediate threat to the surrounding community, but if left untreated, falling limbs from the trees can prove dangerous.
"In some cases, the termites are eating the tree faster than the tree is growing," Juttner said. "When a tree is overtaken by termites, the bark will decay and break. The tree's limbs will fall first, and there have been cases where whole trees have fallen on people's houses."
Michael Carroll, director of the city of News Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, said it would cost a resident "anywhere from $25 to $200" to treat a termite-infested tree.
To alleviate the cost, the city partnered with Parkway Partners, a nonprofit organization that hired Payne Exterminating. Jack Payne Jr., a licensed exterminator, explained his company's step-by-step procedure: "We drill seven holes in the tree. Four are drilled around the base of the tree, and three more spiral up around the top of the tree. We pump Termidor in the soil 3 feet below the tree, and we spray around the base of the trunk to provide the tree with a good barrier of protection."
Fahr said she would check into the arborists' concerns but had not received any complaints about improperly treated trees. "Trees were treated according to specifications provided by the state," she said.
Not every expert, however, agreed with Payne Sr. that holes drilled into oak trees close up in a week or so.
"The amount of times differs depending on the species but on average, the holes usually close within a year," Carroll said.
Juttner added, "Fast-growing trees in New Orleans will plug a hole in a few months."
Recent resurgence
Formosan termites were first brought to the New Orleans area via ships from the Far East after World War II.
In 2002, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry treated 143,000 termite-infested trees in New Orleans and Lake Charles in an effort to stem the damage to city buildings, which had reached millions of dollars.
The program slowed the proliferation of termites until recently. The resurgence of termite infestation in trees is due in part to Hurricane Katrina, Juttner said.
"Trees were highly stressed by the wind and the water of the hurricane, causing them to become weak and more susceptible to termites," he said.
. . . . . . .
Michelle J. Nealy can be reached at mnealy@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3452.
