Information About the Mountain Pine Beetle in Golden, CO

Affecting LodgePole and Ponderosa Pine Trees

The Mountain Pine Beetle is a serious threat to our existing forests. These beetles affect both LodgePole and Ponderosa forests. These are not the only trees affected, but are the primary targets. Mountain Pine Beetles can devastate a forest, killing all trees in the area. Forest thinning and preventative spraying are the best ways to help control the spread. Schulhoff has been dealing with this insect extensively over many years and can help you put together a program to help protect your forest. We deal with pine beetle spraying along the front range, Summit county, Steamboat, and Grand County. With this current outbreak, there is much false information being thrown around. Schulhoff deals with CSU, Forest Service, and Colorado State Extension Service to be able to offer you the highest level of expertise in the industry. Your trees are a huge asset and value to your property. When you are looking for quality, value, experience, and professionalism, you need to talk to us. Please give us a call at (303)-279-1910 to talk with one of our Foresters or Certified Arborists to evaluate your trees and have them put on a program.

Life Cycle of the Mountain Pine Beetle

Here we can see the life cycle of a Mountain Pine Beetle in relation to the seasons. In order to properly deal with these beetles, we must watch out for all stages of their life cycle and be aware of the stages that they are in.

How To Tell The Difference Between an Ips Beetle and a Mountain Pine Beetle

  • Pitch Tubes – Pitch Tubes are wads of sap produced by an infested tree that are designed to push out the attacking insect and trap it within a sticky mess. The Ips beetle typically does not create pitch tubes whereas the Mountain Pine Beetle will often create pitch tubes.
  • Generations Per Year – The Ips Beetle produces two to four generations per year from March to October while the Mountain Pine Beetle only produces one generation per year from mid-July to September
  • Hind Wing Cover – Ips Beetles have a prominent cavity that has three to six pairs of spines. The Mountain Pine Beetle has a gradually curved wing.
  • Tree Size Attacked – Ips Beetles will typically attack smaller trees whereas the Mountain Pine Beetle will typically attack trees with a diameter of 8 inches or larger.
  • Size and Color – Ips Beetles are typically somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 inches across with a brown to reddish brown color. The Mountain Pine Beetle is typically a bit larger than the Ips with a brown to black color.