Property owners who are worried about losing their trees to pine beetles, but concerned about the negative environmental effects of common pest management practices, are turning in greater numbers to non-toxic pest management products to protect their valuable pine trees from the infestation that is ravaging parts of the western United States and Canada.

Verbenone--a synthetic version of a naturally occurring beetle pheromone—has been used for more than a decade in the fight against the pine beetle. According Phero Tech International, manufacturer and distributor of the only Verbenone-based pine beetle repellent available in Canada, demand for the product has increased steadily over the last year and several new outlets have signed on to carry the product. Verbenone is easy to use, environmentally friendly and non-toxic to humans, pets, birds, and even the beetles themselves—factors that appeal to environmentally-sensitive home and business owners.

“As a parent, I’ve always been concerned about the chemicals that surround us on a day-to-day basis,” said Heather Hatwan, onsite property manager for Sundance Lodge in Nederland, CO—an area that has been hit by the pine beetle. “I live in a pristine area with people who have an appreciation for nature. We don’t want our kids, pets and the wildlife exposed to extra chemicals.”

Compared to other preventative measures, Verbenone is also easy to use. The first repellent pouches should be stapled or nailed seven feet high on the tree, just prior to the beetle flight season (April to June, depending upon location and temperature). The second pouch should be applied the same way just prior to peak flight season (usually mid-August).

Beetles and other insects communicate through the use of pheromones. To reproduce, pine beetles gather in host pine trees. At the beginning of an attack, various chemicals produced by infested trees and by the beetles will attract additional beetles. When the numbers of adults approach the maximum the tree can support, new signal chemicals are produced to keep additional beetles away. Verbenone mimics the beetle signal pheromone, sending a false message that the tree is full of beetles and arriving beetles should look elsewhere for a more suitable host.

Beetles attack pine trees in order to lay eggs under the bark. When the eggs hatch, the larvae mine the area beneath the bark and eventually cut off the tree’s supply of nutrients. The beetles also carry a fungus that stops water flow inside the tree and inhibits the tree’s natural defences against further beetle attacks.

Arborists calculate that it could cost between $500 to $2,000 to remove and replace a mature pine tree. However, the true cost of the benefits lost may be $20,000 or more. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air, provide visual and wind screens, help control erosion, increase property values, provide shade, and preserve water quality. It may take more than 50 years for a new tree to grow to a size equal to that of the dead tree that it replaced. A box of Verbenone pine beetle repellent (two pouches per box) retails for approximately $34.99. Bulk prices are available for groups like those Hatwan represents.

“As a concerned member of my small community, I feel obligated to ensure that every option to protect our trees and the environment is looked at,” Hatwan said. “I’ve been talking to people about the idea of a co-operative approach to the beetle issue and the more information I get on safe alternatives, the more compelled I am to do something.”