Blue stain and beetle kill are the same item. A fungus carried by the pine beetle infects and eventually kills the tree, a side effect of this fungus is the “blue” discoloration in varying amounts in the wood. A typical log that produces blue stain boards is only “blue-colored” in the outer-most 2″ or so of the tree.

What causes blue stain in pine wood?

Blue stain is caused by fungi that grow in sapwood and use parts of it for their food. It is not a stage of decay, although the conditions that favor blue staining also very often lead to infectionwith decay-producing fungi.

What temperature kills pine beetles?

The beetles are more susceptible to cold temperatures early in the fall and late spring, when alcohol levels are low, and less susceptible to cold in mid-winter when alcohol levels are highest. Studies show that temperatures from -13 F to -31 F in mid-winter can cause mortality.

What does beetle kill pine look like?

The beetle carries a fungus that slowly turns the wood different colors. Commonly know as “blue stain” the colors that appear can range from blue, purple, brown, orange, yellow, red, and pink. The fungal staining is purely cosmetic and has no effect on the structural integrity of the wood.

What is killing the pine trees in Colorado?

The mountain pine beetle has killed large numbers of the lodgepole pine trees in the northern mountains of the US state of Colorado. The more recent outbreak of another bark beetle pest, the spruce beetle, is threatening higher-elevation forests of Engelmann spruce.

Where does beetle kill pine come from?

Beetle Kill Pine is the result of blue stain fungus that spreads from bark beetles to Lodgepole Pine, Douglas Fir, and Whitebark Pine trees. The blue stain pine fungus works symbiotically with the beetles by turning the tree wood into nutrients.

Can blue stain be removed from wood?

Unfortunately, once blue stain has formed there is no way to remove the color from the wood. Bleach, cleaners or oxalic acid are not effective for removing blue stain and, since it is not just on the surface, even sanding will not remove it.

How do you get blue stains out of pine?

A strong (10%) solution of sodium hypochlorite was effective at removing blue colour from blue- stained lodgepole pine sapwood. Sodium hypochlorite did not adversely affect the colour of heartwood, whereas three other bleaches initially caused a pronounced yellowing of heartwood, which faded over time.

Do pine beetles live in dead trees?

Several species, such as the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), attack and kill live trees. Most species of bark beetles live in dead, weakened, or dying hosts.

What beetle killed pine trees?

Though bark beetles cause a substantial loss of trees, they are recognized as part of “natural conditions.” Several species of bark beetles are presently killing lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, limber pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir and Colorado blue spruce.

Why are so many pine trees dead in Colorado?