What's Wrong with My Tree?

About Sick Trees . Sick Tree ID Guide . Colorado's Common Insects and Diseases
Abiotic Factors . Insect & Disease Publications . Insect & Disease Links

Note: You will need Acrobat 5.0, or higher to open the following PDF files.

About Sick Trees

Insects and diseases pose two of the most serious threats to your tree’s health. As soon as you notice any abnormality in your tree’s appearance, you must begin a careful analysis to gain an understanding of the problem. By examining the specific symptoms of damage and understanding their causes, you can make a reasonable diagnosis of the problem and select the proper treatment. If you are uncertain about the disease, or do not know how to treat it, contact your Colorado State District Forester to conduct a homesite assessment of the trees on your property.

Top

Sick Tree ID Guide

Guide is under construction

Learn about Diagnosing Tree Disorders (146 KB PDF)

Top

Colorado's Common Insects and Diseases

Insects and diseases are a big issue regarding the declining health of Colorado's pine and aspen forests. A few of the more common insects and diseases that affect these forests are the mountain pine beetle, the ips beetle, dwarf mistletoe, various aspen ailments, the spruce bark beetle and the western spruce budworm.

Learn more about each of these insects and diseases, including links to helpful educational materials.

Top

Abiotic Factors That Affect Trees

Hail Damage
Hail can be very damaging to trees, ripping through leaves, defoliating branches, wounding bark, and knocking off twigs altogether. These damages leave the trees more susceptible to disease, and pathogens have easy entry points to invade.

Frost and Winter Exposure Damage
Frost during growing season can be detrimental to newly formed leaves and stems, which have not developed any cold acclimation. Tissue will appear water soaked and will quickly become brown and shriveled.

• Drought
• Overwatering
• Cold
• Cutting roots
• Strangling

Learn about Protecting Trees During Construction (84 KB PDF)

Learn about Environmental Disorders of Woody Plants (61 KB PDF)

Top

Insect and Disease Publications

Top

Insect and Disease Links

Colorado State Cooperative Extension Garden Publications Online - Diseases
Colorado State Cooperative Extension Insect Publications Online - Trees & Shrubs
USDA Forest Service: Rocky Mountain Region - Forest Health Management
USDA Forest Service: RMR - Reports and Publications
USDA Forest Service: RMR - Forest Health Programs
Northern Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative
USDA Forest Service: Northeastern Area - Forest Insects and Disease Leaflets
dmoz Open Directory Project - Pests and Diseases

Top