County sends bills for beetle control

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Some folks in Glacier View will soon receive bills from Larimer County for work on beetle-infested trees.

Dave Lentz, county forester, said 10 property owners in Glacier View failed to comply with written requests to take care of infested trees before the beetles fly again this month. Two Estes Park properties and one in Cherokee Park are also on the list.

The county has hired private contractors to do the necessary work and will bill the property owners.

One Glacier View resident owns five acres and has 190 trees that need to be cut down. Since the maximum that the county can charge a landowner for this work is $5,000, Lentz is not sure whether all 190 trees can be cut and treated.

The goal is "just to kill the beetles" before they can fly and infect other trees, Lentz said. He noted that he had sent certified letters to about 90 property owners, notifying them of the need to treat infested trees, and "just a handful" failed to comply.

The largest pine beetle flight is typically in late July or early August. Infested trees, considered "brood trees," must be cut down and treated before the flight in order to kill the beetles. Merely cutting down the trees does not kill the insects. Lentz said contractors can treat the trees in a variety of ways, including chipping, peeling the bark or taking larger trees to sawmills.

Even with the current massive pine beetle infestation, Lentz said, cutting and treating infested trees can make a difference in the epidemic's spread. This is especially true within subdivisions that have been very proactive in treating infested trees, he noted.

"People have to realize that life goes on beyond their properties," Lentz said.

Lentz emphasized that he inspects properties on a complaint basis. Since he is the only employee in the county forester's office, he must do all the inspections and mailings himself.

This year, it is too late to report beetle-infested properties to the county. Lentz said that people should hold complaints until late October or early November. He will then inspect the properties and notify property owners as needed to take care of trees before next year's beetle flight.