Just a reminder, there can be no guarantees, especially this year, with the extremely high population of the bark beetles. It should be noted that when we spray extremely tall trees for IPS, the spray will sometimes begin to disperse and it is sometimes hard to get a good saturation. We have maintained one of the highest success rates for preventative spraying in the state, but even so, once you attempt to spray up that high from the ground, it is extremely difficult to attain the saturation point necessary to totally prevent infestation.
Unlicensed Applicators – A property owner can spray their own trees or have a licensed applicator spray, but “it is unlawful and a violation to solicit or offer to perform any act of a commercial pesticide applicator without possessing a valid license”. The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) asks that if you are approached by anyone or see someone (either a stranger or someone you know) who you question whether or not they have a license, please call Don Brooks, Enforcement Specialist at: 303-239-4141. If they are not licensed, not only do they not have the proper training or requirements to spray (i.e. proper chemicals, accurate mix ratio, proper spraying guidelines by CDA), but they also do not have required liability insurance coverage to be spraying on anyone’s property. All properly licensed applicators should be willing to provide you with their CDA License number for verification. The CDA License Number for JETCO: Mark Lewis is #07221.