Heavy Snow on May 23, 2010!!

Looks like Leafroller season will be delayed this year!

Amazing snowfall. If this is global warming I'd hate to see what
global cooling would be like.

Aaron

Leafroller Season Is Here

I've begin treating my clients trees for leafrollers. Treatments
usually occur each year during the month of May.

Uncle!

Mother nature won this storm. The snow is too deep for my equipment
to handle now. This is extremely frustrating for me and my clients.
Sorry!!! Pretty awful to drive up to a job and see the berm HIGHER
than your cab!

This depth and weight of snow requires a large articulating loader.

I hope the snow melts quickly so I can resume opperations.

Aaron

Deep Snow!

Running Springs and Arrowbear, CA are buried under 3-4 feet of new
snow. It's beautiful but very difficult to deal with.

Most driveways have berms that are 7-8 feet high and extend 10+ feet
back. Behind the berm is 3-4 feet deep snow. No place to put the
snow! The county road crews are doing their best. Even so the side
streets are mostly one lane wide.

This storm will go down in the history books for sure.

Aaron

Turfgrass and Landscape Institute Seminar

Attending an educational seminar sponsored by the University of
California Cooperative Extension down in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. I have
to complete 40 CEU hours every two years to maintain my skills and
licenses.

Have a great day!

Aaron

Big Snow Blankets the San Bernardino Mtns.

Hwy 18 & 330 are a mess right now. I highly recommend 4x4 vehicles
only right now. I've past a dozen or so 2x4 cars with chains stuck.

Aaron

2008-2009 Person of the Year Honor

The Running Springs Area Chamber of Commerce honored myself and Dixi Willemse as Citizens of the Year at this year's Annual Board of Directors' Installation and Recognition Dinner.

What an honor and surprise for both of us. Thanks for this great honor!

Sincerely,
Aaron M. Scullin

California Black Oaks with Bark Beetles???

Yes, that's right. Oaks are susceptible to "Oak Bark Beetles". Not to be confused with pine beetles or engraver beetles which pine & white fir trees get. Thankfully, most insects are what is termed "host specific". This means that most insects have their own host plant or plants. They don't attack plants which aren't their host.

I see "Oak Bark Beetles" about once or twice a year somewhere in the San Bernardino Forest. This year, I've seen them twice. Once pictured here on the north side of Lake Arrowhead and once in Dart Canyon. Look at the following pictures. The classic sign of attack is the globs of bubbly sap. Clients often tell me, "it looks like someone spit all over my tree! What's happening?" The little beetles are about 1/16 to 1/32 of an inch in diameter.

Thankfully, their populations aren't at an epidemic level. But those lucky enough to get them in their trees still need to follow good arboricultural practices to keep them from spreading!

Do:
1) Call me to come out and assess the situation
2) Treat surrounding oak trees with an approved insecticide to protect them from further spread. We do this work.
3) Remove the attacked tree if attack is severe enough and has killed the tree.
4) I recommend having the infested wood hauled away. Don't keep it. Buy processed firewood that is beetle free. Don't risk spreading the beetles. Don't give it away for free. You're only spreading the problem! I can't tell you how many times I witnessed unfortunate folks who got free "pine firewood" and ended up cutting their beautiful trees town. If you must keep the wood have us treat it with an insecticide.

Leafroller Spraying is underway

We are out in full force treating California Black Oaks for
leafrollers. May is typically the best time for treatments. It all
depends on how late winter goes and when the leaves emerge. Leaves
should be open at least half way for treatments to be most effective.

Give us a call for all your landscape pest control needs.

Aaron

Leafroller Spraying Continued

The BAD Systemic Tree Injectors Strike Again!!

This tree was originally injected in the spring of 2006. Notice that after only a few weeks, the bark had already started to crack above and below the injection site.


Here is another picture of the same tree and injection site just two (2) years later. Look at the extensive damage to the tree. The tree has been severely injured. The crack in the trunk tissue is about 10 inches long, oozing and infected with decay fungi. Sadly this tree will not live into maturity.


No matter how tempting, please don't ever let anyone talk you into injecting your oaks.

Aaron, Certified Arborist RM-0393

Don't inject oak trees!!!

It's a proven fact that injecting oak trees is not only unsightly,
expensive, and severely damaging, it can even cause premature oak tree
DEATH!!

Our competition will try and tell you that injection is the
"environmental" way to go and "safer". Safer for who? Certainly not
for your trees. I don't understand why anyone would not call a tree
expert and then call & trust any structural bug guy that doesn't have any
knowledge of tree biology. That's like having a carpenter trim a tree
with a skill saw (I've seen it done)! He or she might know about
"wood" but live wood???

Your trees are extremely valuable. A single oak can be worth several
thousand dollars if not tens of thousands! If properly cared for,
they can easily live several thousand years more than you.

Take a good look at the dead bark tissue above and below the orange
injector. Decay fungus has now spread to the inner wood. The
bark has opened up about half an inch. Remember that bark is what
skin is to us. How long would you survive with an open wound?

This picture was taken just two years after the so called
"Environmentally Safe" method was used. Sad for this tree.

Call us, we have a better way!

Aaron, Certified Arborist RM-0393

The birth of Aaron M. Scullin Consulting Arborist, Inc. Blog

I'm catching up with technology everyone. Thanks for visiting my newly created blog. My intent is to update this with current tree events and issues from time to time. Please feel free to subscribe to it so that you may receive notification when something new has arrived. Lastly, please let your friends and associates know about this too!

Have a great day!

Aaron

Filed Articles of Incorporation

After almost 8 successful years in business, my wife and I decided to incorporate the business and begin working as Aaron M. Scullin Consulting Arborist, Inc.

Special thanks to all of our loyal customers!!

Aaron

Obtained California State Landscape Contractors License C-27

Obtained my California Landscape Contractors License, C-27 classification

Opened Business Doors

First day of business as a sole-proprietor was on August 1, 1996.

Achieved B.S. Horticuture

Graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. Horticulture with an emphasis in Environmental Landscape Design and Management.

Obtained my Certified Arborist Classification

While attending Brigham Young University, I had the great pleasure of working for Max Darrington who was the campus Arborist. Max mentored me in the world of trees. From this exposure and my early years growing up on the mountain, I decided to take the test to become a Certified Arborist.

Earned Eagle Scout Award

Yes, that's right. I'm an Eagle Scout. I encourage young men everywhere to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. You'll learn life lasting skills!

First Official Horticulture Related Job

From my earliest memories, my mother has had be pulling weeds and by her side. My love of the outside and plants was unavoidable. This was however my first paying job in the field of horticulture. I began working as a nurseryman at Deer Lick Lumber and Nursery located in Arrowbear, CA.