December, '12] BUTTRICK: BLACK HILLS TIMBER INSECTS 461 



It is probable that the pure character of the forest acts in their 

 favor, the same as it does with other insect pests. 



Woodpeckers eat many beetle larvae, and are apt to congregate 

 in burned areas where they are numerous. The Hairy Woodpecker 

 is quite common and is the chief bird enemy of the Buprestid larvae. 

 Early in September the writer observed many at work in an area burned 

 in June. They seemed to confine their attentions largely to the smaller 

 trees, mostly the saplings fifteen to twenty-five feet high. They dug 

 an inch or more into the wood for the grubs. Other woodpeckers occur 

 in the Hills, but were not observed eating larvae on recently killed 

 trees. Probably Chickadees and Nuthatches eat the eggs and small 

 grubs before they enter the wood, but are not al)le to dig into it after 

 them. 



Birds seem to serve more in keeping down the numbers of the pests 

 than in saving timber already infested, since after borers are two or 

 three inches into the wood only the larger woodpeckers can reach 

 them, and then onlj' when the wood is partly decayed. 



Remedies. • The obvious remedy for the destruction of fire-killed 

 timber is of course to prevent fires. This attempt is made on the 

 National Forests and the more valuable private holdings; but, like 

 fires in cities, some forest fires will always occur despite all precautions. 



The next best thing is to harvest the burned timber at once. This 

 is often impossible, since it takes time to effect a timber sale on a 

 National Forest, even when a purchaser is at hand. When roads and 

 camps must be built it may require several montlis to prepare for 

 cutting. If a fire occurs between June first and August fifteenth, it is 

 almost impossible to get at the timber before infestation commences, 

 much less remove any large bodies of it. However, if it can be cut 

 and sawed within six weeks little damage would be done since the 

 borers would still be near the surface, and would be removed with 

 the slabs. 



If timber is killed after the middle of August, there is a longer time 

 for safe removal, although it will be attacked by ambrosia beetles 

 and the bluing fungus till the coming of heavy frosts. 



Lumbermen frequently want to know how to prevent the destruction 

 of dead material without at once removing it. It is often proposed 

 to cut and bark it, removing it to the mill at a more convenient season. 

 This if carefully done is effective, but more costly than might be 

 supposed. Barking costs about fifty cents per M feet B. M., which 

 is half as much as felling itself costs. There would be no profit in 

 barking small top logs, since it does not pay to handle these except 

 under the best of conditions. It is doubtful if any large amount 

 of timber could be kept from bluing by this method. 



