What's eating my bristlecone pine?

Bristlecone Pine is remarkably resilient — its resin-saturated wood resists most pests and its remote high-altitude habitat limits insect pressure. Mountain pine beetle is the primary documented killer. Pine aphids and pine needle scale occur at lower elevations. Bark-gnawing porcupines and deer are the main animal threats.

Pitch tubes on bark; blue-stained sapwood visible under bark; crown turns red-brown and tree dies Remove and destroy infested trees; preventive carbaryl or permethrin bark sprays on high-value specimens before beetle flight in early summer

Colonies on needles producing honeydew; sooty mould follows; minor yellowing on new growth Insecticidal soap or neem oil; strong water jets to dislodge colonies; predatory insects provide good natural control

Bark stripped from trunk, especially in winter; girdling kills young or weakened trees Hardware cloth trunk guards; porcupine deterrent wraps for young plantings