Alachua is in outbreak conditions, they said, and Marion is on the verge of an outbreak. Those counties that reach outbreak condition are eligible for federal grant money to help with suppression efforts. The biggest obstacle to containing pine beetle infestations is the lack of awareness on the part of the private property owner, Foltz said. Many homeowners don't realize they could have a healthy pine tree one day, and by the following evening 5,000 beetles have destroyed the tree.
Experts advise taking quick action against outbreaks.
But determining if pine trees are infested can sometimes prove difficult, especially during drought conditions when trees contain less sap. Foltz said trees with low sap content will not have the traditional light-yellow pitch tubes protruding from the bark, which is a primary clue that beetles are colonizing a tree. If the needles turn orange or red, the brood has emerged and the tree is lost. The usual method of control is to cut down the trees and then spray and remove the remains. Experts do not recommend that property owners spray insecticide on standing pine trees because the beetles live as high as 50 feet up the tree.