pine-killing killer pine beetles

THEY'RE HERE!

.... These killers are sprawling across the heavy pine growth throughout western and southeastern North America. The little beasts, only about a quarter-inch in length, are able to sprawl and overpopulate in a forest, and devastate old lodgepole pine populations.

A time-lapse of beetle-affected forests in and around RMNP appears to be a ruthless, fast-growing organism; IT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO A MAP OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN AND AROUND KANSAS CITY. Yes, as nasty as an overpopulated, sprawling city- in fast-forward.

The pine beetles are thriving in Colorado's recent warm winters and its monoculture of lodgepole pine trees. They fly from a host tree in the heat of the summer, as tiny, black adults, do their business and bore into a healthy tree to lay their eggs. The tree will {try to} spit them out in a nice, sticky blob of yellow sap, and can take many thousands of the things.

The eggs hatch, the larvae grow and the process repeats itself.

The beetles will attack a healthy tree by the thousands, and they could all bore in and use it without harming the tree; it is not this that harms a healthy lodgepole pine. Instead, it is a fungus. A nice, blue fungus that is introduced into the open wounds of the tree and cuts off it's circulation by blocking and clogging the porous living cambria layer just under the bark.

The tree dies standing when the fungus becomes thick enough to block the cambria from supplying vital nutrients from the roots to the top of the tree. It is estimated that between 50-70% of the lodgepole pines in and around the park have been killed by pine beetles and the fungus.

Upon the examination of an affected pine tree, one would certainly notice the hoards of tiny holes intruding the bark and exposed wood. The holes are about the diameter of a large sewing needle, and are sometimes smothered under a "boogger" of sap. The dead beetle is sometimes trapped in the booger and preserved for you to find. When falled, a cross-cut of the tree reveals a blue ring or partial ring of fungus in between the bark and core.

The wood may still be harvested and used, nd the fungus does not weaken the timber.

WHAT TO DO??

Most landowners make an attempt to thin the dead trees on their property- to improve aesthetics and/or to lessen the fire hazard. Cutting dead trees does not kill the beetles/larvae/eggs living inside. Pesticides will kill, but cause extensive damage to the land and can be very hard and expensive to apply effectively.

Here at shadowcliff, Bob cuts dead trees that may be hazardous to the property or to our guests. He may thin others, but he wants to leave the larger trees for wildlife habitat...yes, animals do use dead trees.

The only sure practice to doom the beetles is patience. A cold winter or a hot fire should do the trick! If weather cannot help us, the adult trees will die, and beetle populations will subside when resources (living tees) are not enough to sustain them. A new lodgepole pine forest will grow, or be replaced by a more beetle-tolerant species.