News - Local
Twig beetles latest to attack Colorado forests
Posted: Jul 7, 2010 7:05 AM by Bea Karnes, News First 5
Updated: Jul 7, 2010 7:06 AM
As if the beetles that have killed millions of pine trees in the region weren't enough, there's a new bug looking to eat what the others haven't.
Colorado forest officials say the latest troublesome bug is the twig beetle, which is attacking smaller trees the pine beetle has overlooked. The pine beetles have ravaged more than 3 million trees in Colorado and southern Wyoming. Like the pine beetle, the twig beetle burrows under the bark, feeds on the tree's living tissue and shuts down the circulatory system.
Twig beetles are smaller than the pine beetle, which is about the size of a match head. They prefer branches and young trees. The latest infestation isn't expected to be as severe as the pine beetle epidemic.
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