City and local tree experts told me so. Plus one I had cut down, the contractor showed me the beetles.

The Ranch Manager from Disney's Golden Oak Ranch (880 acres) a few miles from here is coming over tomorrow to check it out. I think I'll be going the nuclear option on these fuchers. May cost me $,$$$, but that is an investment in the value of my property. The Golden Oak Ranch consultant is going to sell me a 90 lbs. or so of Merit to get started. About $120, which is a very good price, as far as I can tell.

Heres the problem... Treating big trees is expensive, and needs to be done every year or two...indefinitely... Figure 200-400$ per tree for the injectables.

10-20 trees, thats $5000 plus per year...

The strong chemical drenches used leach into the ground water, and can't be used often. There is a limit of what can be used per acre, and it isn't a lot.

I feel for you. I have resorted to trimming dying branches when I see them. I also am treating the younger trees, as thats cost effective.

I spray the bark with insecticides, though I am not sure it does much more than make me feel better...

Bo

If you find a solution, let me know.

Bo

I understand. My time horizon to move is 2-5 years, I want to keep them alive that long. After that, not my problem.

I'll be drip irrigation with soakers on my 100 plus oak trees beginning tomorrow. The arborist recommends using soaker hose that delivers 1 gph/foot of soaker hose set at about 15 feet from the trunk of the tree, which means around 50 feet of soaker hose for six hours, or around 300 gallons/tree, maybe more depending on the moisture levels I get in the soil. 300 gallons for a 3 foot trunk diameter oak doesn't seem like much. He says do it 2-3 times per year.

I'll also be pouring Merit 0.5G on the soaker line at about 1 lb (two cups) for a small tree (12"dia.) and up to 4 lbs. for a 4' diameter tree. I've gotta experiment with the amount of water on small versus bigger trees. The experts say water then post hole dig a foot or two down and look at the soil and see if it looks moist.

Just read about tree-killing beetles in the new National Geographic. They're wreaking havoc all across the Canadian and US PNW and moving east into the Black Hills of SoDak.

I feel your pain Hugh, I lost an almost mature queen palm to LY (leathan yellowing) disease.