THE BLACK HILLS BEETLE. 21 



FUBTHER RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO THE CONTROL OF 



THE BEETLE. 



(1) Explorations should be made, preferably during August, Sep- 

 tember, and October, to locate the principal areas of new infestation. 



(2) Mark for cutting all clumps or patches of infested trees and 

 some of the more accessible scattering ones in the worst-infested 

 sections. 



(3) The best time to fell and bark infested trees is between the 

 middle of October and the first of May. 



(4) If there is no demand for the timber, and more can be accom- 

 plished by piling the trunks and tops and burning them, or sufficiently 

 scorching the bark to kill the insects, this method may be followed; 

 but barking the infested portion of the trunks, without burning the 

 bark or tops, is preferable, since it will avoid the destruction of many 

 beneficial insects, and the exposed broods of the destructive beetle 

 furnish food for birds. 



(5) In some localities, and under certain conditions, it may be 

 advisable to burn the tops, but if this is done to kill the insects it 

 should be delayed until after the fii'st of May and completed before 

 the middle of June. 



(6) If for any reason the work of felling and barking the trees can 

 not be undertaken or completed before the first of May, it may be done 

 during May and June. The necessity for burning the bark and tops 

 at such time will depend upon local conditions and requirements. 



(7) Summer operations should be avoided. There is nothing to be 

 gained in felling freshly attacked trees which can just as well be cut in 

 the fall and winter. In addition, there is danger of the freshly felled 

 and barked trees exerting an attractive influence on the swarms of 

 beetles which will cause them to attack the surrounding living timber. 

 Then, again, any burning operations during the summer involves the 

 danger of starting forest fires. 



(8) If it is especially desirable, on account of timber sale and 

 logging contracts, to cut the old dead as well as the newly infested 

 living trees during the active period of the insect- — May to October — 

 a thorough exploration should be made by a forest entomologist or a 

 trained forester, who should be responsible for the marking of the 

 infested living trees. It is also important that all cutting of infested 

 timber be concentrated in the worst affected localities. 



(9) The burning of summer slash and the barking of stumps of 

 trees which are healthy when felled is not necessary as a preventive 

 measure against the Black Hills beetle, and the necessity for doing so 

 against any other insect depends entirely on the species involved and 

 local conditions. 



