Drake Nokes, owner of Ridgecrest Tree Services, holds up a cross section of cottonwood that’s been devastated by wood bores.
After five years of drought, local trees are beginning to show severe signs of poor health, and it’s likely to get worse before it gets better.
Drake Nokes, owner of Ridgecrest Tree Services, told the Daily Independent on Aug. 23 that his pruning business used to serve Ridgecrest and the surrounding areas such as Lone Pine, Valencia, California City and so on.
“A lot of trees right now are stressed from the drought,” she said.
This gives the insects a better chance when attacking the tree.” Smith explained that a healthy tree will produce sap to pitch the insects out.
He stated that invasive tree killing insects like bark beetles typically don’t fly very far and they’re very host specific, only attacking certain species of trees.
He said even after just one good season of rain which came this winter, they’ve experienced a decrease in pine bark beetle activity.
He said that if a tree has wood bores, then it must be a damaged tree because parts of it are already dead or dying.
“Bark beetles are more of an indication of poor tree health,” Smith said.
And if it’s gone past the time for questions and concerns, call Ridgecrest Tree Services at 760-377-5861 to have a tree removed, though there may be a waitlist.