Insects and diseases can pose serious threats to a forest’s health. Our foresters monitor insect and disease activity and trends, and respond to emerging threats to our communities’ forests.

• Common Insect & Disease Concerns
• Forest Insect & Disease Aerial Survey

Common Insect & Disease Concerns

If your questions cannot be resolved with the information provided, please contact the La Veta Field Office. Foresters are available for site visits to look at specific insect or disease concerns on your property.

Common Local Insects & Diseases

Pine

• Dwarf Mistletoe Management (127 KB PDF)
• Mountain Pine Beetle (362 KB PDF)
• Ips Bark Beetle (298 KB PDF)
• Twig Beetle (109 KB PDF)
• Pine Needle Scale

Aspen

• Aspen and Popular Leaf Spots (203 KB PDF)
• Cytospora Canker (87 KB PDF)
• Poplar Borer (115 KB PDF)
• Oystershell Scale (78 KB PDF)
• Aspen Scale (305 KB PDF)
• Sudden Aspen Decline (2.3 MB PDF)

Spruce

• Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid
• Spruce Bark Beetle
• USFS Website (Spruce Bark Beetle)

Fir

• Douglas-fir Beetle (561 KB PDF)
• Western Balsam Bark Beetle
• Western Spruce Budworm (562 KB PDF)

Piñon Pine

• Common Piñon Pine Pests Fact Sheet (297 KB PDF)

Juniper

• Juniper Borer (255 KB PDF)
• Western Cedar Bark Beetle (61.3 KB PDF)

The 2015 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests (3 MB PDF) is available online. The report provides an overview of insect and disease conditions in all of the state’s forests.

Forest Insect & Disease Aerial Survey

The annual survey is led, coordinated and funded by the U.S. Forest Service. A small fixed-wing aircraft is flown between 1,000 to 1,500 feet above the treetops while surveyors mark on a map the location, number and identity of trees affected by insects or diseases. The CSFS has assisted in the aerial survey since the 1970s and began playing a larger role in 1997.

For more information about the state aerial survey, visit the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region website.