Bark beetles are common across the Western US. They’re tiny insects that burrow into the bark of pine trees to lay their eggs, often killing the tree in the process. They can also spread across huge areas of woodland. One way to mitigate beetle outbreaks is through prescribed burns. But as KSJD’s Lucas Brady Woods reports, the drought conditions fueling their spread aren’t so easy to address.
Bark beetles are common across the Western US. They’re tiny insects that burrow into the bark of pine trees to lay their eggs, often killing the tree in the process. They can also spread across huge areas of woodland. One way to mitigate beetle outbreaks is through prescribed burns. But as KSJD’s Lucas Brady Woods reports, the drought conditions fueling their spread aren’t so easy to address.