There has been a lot of press and we get a lot of questions about using ODC Colloidal Chitosan for Mountain Pine Beetle. It has been represented as the inexpensive and ecologically friendly alternative to pesticides, a silver bullet for nasty beetles if you will.
Application of ODC Colloidal Chitosan has been proven to increase sap production in trees and plants while under drought conditions. The sap is the pitch which is used by the tree to hydraulicly push out the invading insect. Our extended drought has stressed our trees and reduced the amount of sap or pitch with which they have to defend themselves. Naturally then it's easy to make the connection that the more sap the better the tree can defend itself.
I subscribe to much of the above. However, this is only one part of the equation. Attacks by Mountain Pine beetle are generally coordinated and accomplished in mass. Once a tree is selected for attack, the beetles emit powerful pheromones attracting beetles to that tree. I have seen many trees adjacent to or in streams, creeks, ponds or other wet or riparian areas that have not been drought stressed and that have the ability to produce as much pitch as necessary. These trees are standing dead as dead can be from mass beetle attacks.
That being said I do believe that ODC Colloidal Chitosan improves tree health, I believe it improves a trees natural defense against Mountain Pine beetle which I see as important. Would I use the product to help my trees during this extended drought, absolutely! But, would I use this product as my primary defense against the beetles, probably not.
Application of ODC Colloidal Chitosan has been proven to increase sap production in trees and plants while under drought conditions. The sap is the pitch which is used by the tree to hydraulicly push out the invading insect. Our extended drought has stressed our trees and reduced the amount of sap or pitch with which they have to defend themselves. Naturally then it's easy to make the connection that the more sap the better the tree can defend itself.
I subscribe to much of the above. However, this is only one part of the equation. Attacks by Mountain Pine beetle are generally coordinated and accomplished in mass. Once a tree is selected for attack, the beetles emit powerful pheromones attracting beetles to that tree. I have seen many trees adjacent to or in streams, creeks, ponds or other wet or riparian areas that have not been drought stressed and that have the ability to produce as much pitch as necessary. These trees are standing dead as dead can be from mass beetle attacks.
That being said I do believe that ODC Colloidal Chitosan improves tree health, I believe it improves a trees natural defense against Mountain Pine beetle which I see as important. Would I use the product to help my trees during this extended drought, absolutely! But, would I use this product as my primary defense against the beetles, probably not.