A NNorthernorthern FFrontront RRangeange LLandownerandowner GGuideuide ttoo LLivingiving wwithith BBarkark BBeetleseetles You are the steward of your land! Pine beetles are changing the look of forests throughout the West. Although the forests will recover, many property owners will see trees around them die. Each homeowner can take steps to minimize the impact on their land, speed the recovery of the forest around them, and minimize the danger of wildfi re to their property. The following pages contain information on the nature of the threat to property and the types of assistance available through federal, state, and county programs. WYOMING COLORADO WHAT’S INSIDE 2 Meet the Beetles 3 What Can YOU Do? 5 Preventive Spray or Pheromone Pouches? 6 Mountain Pine Beetle in Lodgepole Pine 7 Mountain Pine Beetle in Ponderosa Pine 8 Neighbors Helping Neighbors Larimer 9 Fire Behavior in Beetle-Infested Forests Boulder 10 Defensible Space 10 Community Wildfi re Protection Plans 11 The Benefi ts of Fire Gilpin Jefferson 11 Beetles Also Like Urban Pine Trees 12 Using Wood From Beetle-Infested Forests 12 Online Resources and Contact Information Clear Creek Beetle infestation National Forest Wilderness areas National Park State lands Small beetles, big impact. Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org Meet the Beetles: Two Species of Concern By Colorado State Forest Service Staff Mountain Pine Beetle Ips Beetles he mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus leven species of Ips beetles are native to Tponderosae, is a bark beetle native to western EColorado; Ips pini, the pine engraver beetle, North America. Its range extends west from the is the most common. Its primary hosts are the same Great Plains, from British Columbia to Mexico. as MPB—lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine—but The MPB usually takes 1 year to complete its lifecycle, developing through four it can attack most other species of pine in its range, which extends across the stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Except for a few days during the summer United States and much of North America. Generally, Ips beetles attack stressed when adults emerge and fl y to new trees, all development takes place under the or dying pine trees and do not cause a lot of damage. But, Ips beetle populations bark of infested trees. Female beetles lay tiny, pearl-white eggs under the bark have been increasing due to the effects of the MPB epidemic, drought, and the of pine trees in the late summer and early fall. The eggs hatch in 10 to 14 days. availability of wounded trees. In some counties, Ips beetles have recently killed The white larvae overwinter in galleries under the bark and begin to mature the dozens to hundreds of healthy trees in a single year. Like the MPB, Ips beetles following spring. By July, most pupae have transformed into adults. Adults are introduce blue-stain fungi to trees; the fungi quicken tree death by blocking the black and 1/8- to 1/4-inch long. fl ow of water up the tree. Adults feed under the bark during the summer and emerge through an exit hole, Ips beetles complete their four-stage lifecycle in only 40 to 55 days, and can produce with peak emergence occurring from mid-July to mid-August. Within a few days, two to four generations of beetles per year. This makes them more challenging for the the beetles enter other trees—there are usually enough insects emerging from homeowner to control than MPB. In the spring, beetles begin to emerge as early as one tree to attack several additional trees. In Colorado, MPB can attack all native March, when consistent daytime temperatures reach 50 to 60°F, and fl ight can continue species of pine, including lodgepole, ponderosa, limber, and bristlecone, and even into November. Beetles can attack trees throughout the fl ight period; however, the some urban pines like Scotch and Austrian. Beetles carry the spores of blue-stain fi rst spring fl ight appears to be the most damaging. Ips beetles are about the size of a fungi on their bodies and introduce them into pine trees. The combination of the grain of rice (1/8- to 3/8-inch long), reddish-brown to black, and can be distinguished feeding beetles and spreading fungi kills the tree within a year. from MPB by the depressed cavity and spines at the rear end of the body. 2 You Are the Steward of Your Land! Here’s What You Can Do as a Forest Landowner By Irene Shonle, Director, CSU Extension, Gilpin County lthough this mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic is If you see blue staining and breeding galleries but no insects, Atoo big to stop, you might be able to slow the spread and you also fi nd small, circular exit holes about the size of both MPB and Ips beetles and reduce the level of tree of a BB gun pellet on the outer surface of the bark, then the mortality in your backyard forest. Be proactive! Look for insects have already fl own from the tree. The wood is no new Ips beetle attacks throughout the warm months, and longer infested, and it is safe to be used as fi rewood. If tree survey the trees on your property in the fall to look for new needles have been red and dead for at least 1 year, then the MPB attacks. Removing beetle-infested trees early will tree is no longer infested. You can examine fi rewood and have a positive impact on forest health, reduce the number slash using these same techniques—with slash, peel back of hazard trees on your property, and decrease potential the bark on the largest branches. wildfi re danger. Fall Is a Great Time to Survey Your Trees Is Your Tree, Slash Pile, or Firewood Still and Determine Treatment Options Infested? In the fall, most new beetle attacks have already occurred, You may already know which trees on your property have except for those by a few late-season Ips beetles. There been attacked by beetles and whether slash and fi rewood is no snow on the ground, the days are beautiful, and came from beetle-infested trees, but determining if the wood there are many treatment options, including saving newly is still infested by those beetles can be tricky. In general, Peel back bark to check for insects, infested wood for fi rewood. As the fl ight time of the beetles infested wood should be free from MPB after about 1 eggs, or larvae in beetle galleries. approaches during the spring, the number of treatment year—adult MPB typically fl y from infested trees anytime options decreases. between July and September, a year after their eggs were laid. Ips beetles have a Experts recommend that people carry out their forestry practices (cutting trees much shorter life cycle, and they may live in a tree or slash pile for as little as 6 for beetle sanitation, fi re mitigation, or forest health) during the fall and winter weeks before emerging. Take time to look carefully at your trees, wood, and slash months. In addition to the reasons noted earlier, this is because Ips beetles are before transporting them to other locations. attracted to the smell of newly cut wood and slash. Restricting your cutting To determine whether a tree is still infested, look for pitch tubes or small mounds to the cooler season will help prevent new infestations. If it is not possible to of reddish-orange boring dust on the main tree trunk. Peel back an area of bark perform your forestry work during this time, it is still better to cut infested trees the size of a deck of cards just above the tubes or dust. A wound like this will not or work on fi re mitigation during the spring or summer than not to do it at all. Be hurt a healthy tree, but don’t cut into a tree more than once or twice if you don’t sure to follow the slash management guidelines, and store any newly cut wood fi nd signs of beetles. If you see live adult insects, eggs, or larvae in breeding away from living trees. galleries, the tree is still infested and will need to be treated to kill the beetles before moving the wood. continued on page 4 Was Your Tree Hit by Ips Beetles or MPB? Pitch Time Boring Dust Signs of Gallery Sawdust Diameter of Beetle Tubes of Fading at Base of Tree Woodpecker Feeding Blue-stain Shape in Galleries? Attacked Tree Ips No March– Yes: fi ne and Yes Yes Y, X, or H No Smaller than 8” November reddish MPB Yes May–July Yes: coarser Yes Yes I or J Yes Usually bigger and reddish- than 6” white Ladd Livingston, Idaho Dept. of Lands, Bugwood.org U.S. Forest Service, Bugwood.org Jerald E. Dewey, MPB pitch tubes and boring dust Ips beetle galleries often form MPB galleries often form (sawdust) are evident on infested trees. a Y, X, or H shape. an I or J shape. 3 continued from page 3 Treating Infested Trees rees must be treated to destroy live beetles after they are cut down. THere are some options: 1. Take the entire tree to a sort yard for disposal. Visit http://www.peaktopeakwood.org for information on sort yard locations. 2. Chip the entire tree and/or slash pile to destroy the beetle. Spread the chips out in a thin layer so they will dry quickly and not attract Ips beetles. 3. Peel the bark from the trunk with a chain saw, draw knife, or Log Wizard® (a chainsaw attachment that peels logs).