Quick Facts

Mountain Pine Beetles

Karen Trofka

Scientific Name: Dendroctonus ponderosaeSize: 1/8 -1/3 inchNative to forests in western North AmericaHave one year life cyclesWoodpeckers are theirnatural predators

The Pine Beetle

Photo taken by Joseph Trofka

Female tunnels under bark of treeMateForm vertical tube, or egg gallery,

containing about 75 eggsEggs hatch and larva tunnel away from the

egg galleryRemain under the bark during the winterBecome pupae June-JulyMid-June to September leave trees as

adults

Life Cycle

Periodic out breaks can kill millions of trees

Current outbreak has killed 1.5 million acres of trees in Colorado

Pine beetles attack large and weak or stressed trees

Mainly affect ponderosa, lodgepole, scotch, and limber pinetreesAffect Bristlecone and

pinyon pines as well

Out Breaks

Photo taken by Joseph Trofka

Range of Damage from Mountain Pine Beetles

Map from http://snr.unl.edu/invasives/images/mountain%20pine%20beetle%20map.jpg

Tree become yellow or red 10 months After a successful attack

Pitch tubes are created from the beetles

tunneling

Blue stain the on in inside of the wood is a fungus from adult beetles that help beetles kill the tree

What the Pine Beetles do to the Trees

All photos taken by Joseph Trofka

Wood remains structurally sound until five years after attack and can be used for building

Used as fuel for pellet stovesBio-fuelFirewoodBiochar

What can be Done with the Beetle Kill

Photo taken by Karen Trofka

"Can 'biochar' save the planet? " CNN Video. CNN. 30 Mar. 2009. biochar.org.       Web. 29 Mar. 2010.

Helman, Christopher. "Turning Dead Trees Into Green Heat." Forbes.com. N.p., 2 Sept. 2009. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.

Leatherman, D.A., I. Aguayo, and T.M. Mehall. "Mountain Pine Beetle." Colostate.edu.Colorado State University, Apr. 2007. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.

Moscou, Jim. "Beetlemania." How the Pine Beetle is Destroying Colorado Forests. Newsweek, 2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. <http://www.newsweek.com/id/148297/ page/2>.

Trofka, Joseph. Interview about Mountain Pine Beetles. Private Residence. 28       Mar. 2010. Interview.

Works Consulted