--- title: Bark Beetles in Pines | Northern Nevada Tree Guide url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/bark-beetles-in-pines/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Tree guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/) - Bark beetles in pines # Bark beetles in pines Bark beetles kill pines by tunneling under the bark, and they hit hardest after drought. The signs are reddish pitch tubes on the trunk, boring dust and a crown that fades from green to yellow to reddish-brown, and once the crown has turned, the tree is dead and removal is the usual step. - **Trees affected:** Jeffrey pine (Jeffrey pine beetle); lodgepole, limber, whitebark and western white pine (mountain pine beetle); pinyon (pinyon ips) - **First sign:** Reddish pitch tubes on the trunk - **Later sign:** Crown fades green to yellow to reddish-brown - **Worst after:** Severe or prolonged drought Around Lake Tahoe and the Carson Range the main pine is Jeffrey pine, and its main beetle is the Jeffrey pine beetle. Mountain pine beetle and pinyon ips attack other pines in Nevada. We identify the problem and remove or prune affected trees. We do not spray or inject. ## What to look for - Large, reddish pitch tubes on the bark, which mark where beetles bored in - Boring dust in the pitch tubes and bark crevices - Holes and flaked bark where woodpeckers have fed on the beetles - Needles fading evenly through the crown, from green to yellow to reddish-brown The US Forest Service notes that pitch tubes can be found long before the crown fades, and that by the time the crown is reddish-brown the new beetles have likely already left the tree. ## Why drought matters Jeffrey pine beetle populations boom after severe or prolonged drought, and the trees die in groups. During an outbreak, any Jeffrey pine more than 4 inches in diameter at breast height can be attacked. In dry periods a tree may not have enough resin to push the beetles out. ## What the state surveys show Nevada's 2023 forest health report, based on Forest Service aerial surveys, mapped mountain pine beetle on 2,214 acres, down from 10,711 acres in 2022, and pinyon ips on 191 acres, down from 16,392. The report credits a wet winter that helped trees pitch out beetles. Beetle pressure rises and falls with the weather. ## What an arborist checks - Whether the pitch tubes show successful attacks - How much of the crown has faded - Which neighboring pines are at risk - Where the tree would fall, and how to bring it down safely ## When removal is the answer A pine with a faded crown will not recover. Dead pines become brittle and dangerous to climb, so do not wait long. At Lake Tahoe, a dead tree that could fall on a house does not need a TRPA permit, but check with the agency or your fire district about any other tree. See [removing dead pines after bark beetles](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/removing-dead-pines-bark-beetles/). ### Sources - [USDA Forest Service, Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet 11: Jeffrey Pine Beetle](https://www.fs.usda.gov/foresthealth/docs/fidls/FIDL-11-JeffreyPineBeetle.pdf) (read October 1, 2026) - [Nevada Forest Health Highlights 2023 (USDA Forest Service and Nevada Division of Forestry)](https://www.fs.usda.gov/foresthealth/docs/fhh/NV_FHH_2023.pdf) (read October 1, 2026) - [Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and Defensible Space](https://www.trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space/) (read October 1, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Jeffrey pine](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/jeffrey-pine/) - [Removing dead pines after bark beetles](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/removing-dead-pines-bark-beetles/) - [Drought stress and dieback](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/drought-stress-and-dieback/) - [Tree removal](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/tree-removal/) - [Tahoe tree removal permits: the 14-inch rule and how to measure DBH](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tahoe-tree-removal-permits-dbh/) ### Terms on this page [Pitch tubes](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/pitch-tubes/) [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency)](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/trpa/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### Can a pine survive bark beetles? Some attacks fail: a healthy tree can push beetles out with pitch. Once the crown fades to reddish-brown, the tree is dead. ### What do pitch tubes look like? On Jeffrey pine they are large, reddish lumps of pitch on the bark. Successful attacks are pink to dark reddish and contain boring dust. ### Do you treat trees for bark beetles? No. We do not apply pesticides. We identify affected trees, remove dead ones and prune where that helps.