05/14/2026
These are nasty little critters and we are here to help protect your trees!
We are starting to see more Ips beetle activity along the Front Range, and honestly, a lot of people do not realize how fast it can move once trees become stressed.
Drought, low snowpack, crowded timber, and wildfire stress all weaken pine and spruce trees and make them vulnerable. A tree can look “a little off” one month and be completely gone the next.
By the time entire sections are turning orange or red, the infestation has usually already spread farther than most homeowners realize.
One of the hardest parts about working in wildfire mitigation is watching beautiful, mature trees die when early intervention could have helped slow the spread.
A few signs to watch for:
• Small pitch tubes on the bark
• Fine boring dust around the trunk or bark crevices
• Fading yellow or reddish needles
• Increased woodpecker activity
• Bark peeling away with beetle galleries underneath
This matters for more than aesthetics. Dead and dying trees increase wildfire intensity, create falling hazards, and add fuel loading around homes, driveways, and escape routes.
Healthy forests are not forests that are left untouched forever. In Colorado, stewardship matters. Thinning overcrowded areas, removing stressed or infested trees, cleaning up slash, and creating defensible space all play a role in protecting both your property and the surrounding landscape.
We spend a lot of time walking properties with homeowners who simply want to protect the land they love without destroying the character of it.
We believe mitigation is about being proactive instead of reactive. A little work now can prevent a much bigger problem later, especially in Colorado where wildfire and forest health are so closely connected.
