A tiny native beetle is killing spruce trees across Denver, taking advantage of trees weakened by drought and high temperatures.
“This is a death sentence,” said one forestry expert about what happens when the beetles attack trees in Denver.
The damage is visible in parks, apartment complexes and residential yards, where large, established trees are being cut down after becoming infested with Ips beetles.
At Lindsley Park in east Denver, the city recently removed 19 large spruce trees that had been attacked by the beetles. City figures show Denver has removed 77 spruce trees so far this year, more than in any of the previous three years. City foresters say many of the trees were already declining, but the IPS beetle is seen as a factor in many of the tree losses…