Keep your trees beetle free
Ips Beetle populations in the Pikes Peak region are at elevated levels, due to prolonged drought stress in trees. City Forestry is reminding tree owners to maintain their trees and watch for signs of beetle infestation.
Ips is a common group of bark beetles that infest and damage pine and spruce trees. They develop under the bark and produce girdling tunnels that can kill trees.These bark beetles rarely attack healthy trees, and are cause most problems in newly transplanted trees or trees under severe stress.
This insect can have several generations per year starting in early spring through November. Symptoms of Ips Beetle infestation include:
- Pine trees that begin to fade
- Spruce trees tops will die; or
- An entire tree will start to lose its needles.
City Forestry offers the following maintenance tips to prevent beetle infestation:
- Do not stack freshly cut branches or firewood next to healthy pine and spruce trees (this is a breeding site for the Ips beetle);
- Keep your evergreen trees as healthy as possible and remove heavily infested trees;
- Consider preventative spraying of trees and supplemental watering;
- Contact a tree care professional for a consultation.
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