Yes this is the only time one can leave the bark on and it will not encourage insects. With the conventional way it is on the other hand very important to strip off the bark to discourage insect attack.

However, it is always a toss up with latte and poles, as it is also easier to strip the bark while the trees are freshly cut rather than waiting until the bark is dry where it takes more work to get the bark off. So you may want to compromise with the curing somewhat. We normally leave the crown and bark on for 3 to 4 days after cutting before starting to strip off the bark. The main thing by far is the timing…not leaving the bark on and aging with branches which is more important with big logs that you are cutting into planks/beams where you want to minimize cracking and warping as far as possible and have a lighter tree to extract out the forests and a perfectly stable timber. Be sure to keep trees in shade / out of direct sun once stripped to prevent too much cracking.

If you are wanting to cut more during the time this also allows one to concentrate on cutting during the period and then stripping can happen afterwards ….without the danger of insects coming in…………We suggest you do a few experiments with the forester where you do leave at least one with all its bark on in the forest for as long as possible ….say 6 weeks – 3 months and then strip the bark off. You’ll should be amazed by the lack of borer attack.