Pine Bark Beetles

This survey was in the forest at the top of the draw.

I heard beetles on every point, scratching into the trees.

Warming climate is hard on forests, because more of these beetles make it through winter - supercharging the beetle population. They bore through the bark and lay their eggs in the cambium layer.

Instead of absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, dead trees release CO2. Healthy forests combat climate change; beetle-killed forests drive climate change.

Woodpeckers can save us! They need to eat more beetles.

One had the other’s head in its mouth. Mating?

Older, bigger Ponderosas are more vulnerable, because they host bigger infestations of beetles. Younger trees can fend them off easier.