Can a subdivision keep the mountain pine beetle out by removing infested trees and spraying high-value trees with insecticides?
Removal of infested trees provides some local relief from the insect population if done prior to insect emergence. But removing infested trees will have no impact in a landscape saturated with mountain pine beetles and an abundance of susceptible trees. The landowner can make a better investment at this point by applying preventive insecticidal sprays on live trees prior to beetle flight. Information on this topic is available at the Colorado State Forest Service website It is important to use a commercial applicator and remove any dead trees, as they are a safety hazard.
