by Lorraine Masonheimer

Bark beetles, about the size of a grain of rice, are chomping their way through pine trees in neighboring counties. That can mean bad news for Castle Pines North (CPN) landscapes if HOAs and residents do not monitor pine trees.

Native to Colorado, mountain pine beetles, ips beetles and spruce beetles favor ponderosa, lodgepole and spruce trees. If the population is not controlled and numbers increase, bark beetles can attack and kill many common pine species grown in the area—even healthy, young trees.

“Small populations of bark beetles are present in Douglas County and always have been,” said Diana Selby, a forester of the Colorado State Forest Service in Franktown. “When communities take preventative actions and proactively identify and remove infested trees, we can effectively prevent an outbreak.”

Bark beetle populations are on the rise statewide in epidemic proportions.

The one-year life cycle of beetles typically begins in August when adults exit dead trees and fly to nearby green trees. Infested trees produce enough mature beetles to kill more than three new trees by the following summer, leaving a reddish-brown path of destruction.

External signs include popcorn-like masses of sap along the trunk, holes in the bark about the size of an eraser head, piles of sawdust at the tree base, or evidence of a woodpecker feeding on the tree trunk. If the tree is breached, it cannot be saved and must be quickly removed to prevent spreading to surrounding trees.

The best prevention is a good offense. Healthy, well-fed and watered trees are more likely to hold off a bark beetle attack. “Tree contractors preventatively spray for bark beetles with either Astro or Sevin,” said Joseph Julian, County Extension Director of the Colorado State University Extension in Castle Rock. “It can be effective if the tree is not infected.” Many commercial landscape companies conduct free inspections and recommendations for area homeowners.

To learn more about prevention or population reduction treatments, go to www.csfs.colostate.edu/wrong.htm. For a homesite assessment call the Colorado State Forest Service at 303-660-9625 or the Colorado State University Extension office at 720-733-6930.