| By far the most damaging calamity to befall our forest is pine beetles. Since 1998, our area in Colorado has been experiencing an epidemic of these pests. We have seen entire hillsides with pine beetle killed trees.
A pine beetle is about 1/4 inch long and a dark black color. Pine beetles attack ponderosa pines, lodgepole pines, and limber pines. They bore through the outer bark into the tree, lay eggs, and then die. The eggs hatch the next year, pupate, and are ready to infest other trees.
The pine beetle itself does not kill the tree but may carry a fungus in its saliva. This fungus spreads through the affected tree and ultimately interrupts the ability of the tree to take up water. The tree subsequently dries out and dies. Wood from an
affected tree is stained blue by the fungus. |
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Attacked trees are usually 6 inches or more in diameter and, the bigger the tree, the more attractive to the pine beetles. We have noticed that the pine beetles rarely attack a single tree. Usually they attack 3 or more trees clustered in an area. In 2000, we had 16 trees attacked within a single cluster on one slope.
This picture, taken in 2001, shows a tree that is infected by the fungus. In June, the tree looked dry and then turned brown. It is dead and needs to be cut down and treated before the pine beetles fly in mid July through October. |
