The pinyon ips beetle is a small bark beetle that bores into the trunk and branches of pinyon pine and breeds in the layer just beneath the bark. A heavy attack can kill a mature tree within a single season. Pinyon is common throughout Delta and Montrose counties, and ips beetle is one of the most frequent reasons healthy-looking pinyon die here.
Prevention, not cure
Once beetles are established under the bark of a tree, spraying will not save it. Treatment is preventive: the bark is protected before the beetles arrive.
How we treat
We apply a cover spray to the trunk and main branches three times a season: the first around Memorial Day, the second around July 1, and the third around September 1. That schedule covers the period when the beetles are flying and looking for trees to attack.
Signs of an attack
- Needles fading from green to yellow, then to red-brown, often starting at the top of the tree
- Small holes in the bark, or reddish boring dust in bark crevices and at the base of the trunk
- Small masses of pitch on the bark
Reducing the risk
Ips beetles favor trees that are already stressed, especially by drought. Deep watering of pinyon during dry periods helps. Fresh-cut pinyon wood and branches should not be stacked near living trees, because beetles breed in the cut material and move from there to the standing trees.
All applications are made under Brookstone Outdoors' Colorado Department of Agriculture commercial pesticide applicator license.