Colorado Drought and Warm Temps Fuel Rising Threat of Beetle Kill

The fact that there is such a lack of snow in Colorado this winter is not only detrimental to ski season, but it’s also causing conditions that threaten vegetation, including one particular type of tree that is widely found in Colorado.

However, it’s not necessarily the lack of moisture that’s negatively impacting these trees, but rather the conditions that are prime for a species of insect that is notorious for killing this particular type of vegetation.

Colorado Drought + Beetle Kill Go Hand in Hand

The type of tree that is widely prevalent in Colorado that is most threatened by a particular species of insect is scientifically known as Pinus ponderosa, but commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine.

The most widely distributed pine species of tree in North America, the Ponderosa Pine is primarily found in the mountainous regions of Colorado, though not exclusively.
The biggest threat to these trees is known as the mountain pine beetle, which is the insect responsible for the unfortunate phenomenon known as “beetle kill.”

Fortunately, something is being done to curb beetle kill in Colorado, as Governor Polis recently enacted a new task force to accomplish this.

The task force is primarily using a product appropriately called TREE-äge R10, which contains the chemical emamectin benzoate.

Governor Polis’s new task force was partially created because of the drought that Colorado is currently experiencing, and the fact that the unseasonably warmer temperatures, along with the lack of snow, make for ideal conditions for the mountain pine beetle to flourish.

Read More: Mushrooms Being Grown in Colorado Forests + Not Why You’d Assume

Learn more about the effort to curb Colorado’s beetle kill problem here.