Encourage vigorous tree growth. Susceptibility to beetle attack increases with stand age and slow diameter growth. Shorten pine rotations in areas where beetles have historically caused considerable timber losses. Delay harvest and thinning operations or severe pruning until winter when beetle activity has declined if bark beetles are active in your area.
Damaged pines are ideal sites for the start of bark beetle infestations.
Minimize mechanical tree damage such as skinning of the trunks, partial pushovers, etc. during construction or harvesting operations. Tree damage from recent logging activities favors all kinds of bark beetles. Remove and salvage skinned trees next to skid trails, logging roads and loading decks. Build barricades around trees to prevent mechanical damage by equipment in yard and landscape environments. Try to minimize root damage by keeping trenching and digging to a minimum.