Town of Vail to remove trees infested by spruce beetles

The Town of Vail recently issued the following press release on the removal of 26 spruce trees near the Grand Hyatt to stop the spread of spruce beetles:

The Town of Vail will begin the removal of approximately 26 spruce trees in the vicinity of the Grand Hyatt in Cascade Village starting on Monday, Oct. 7. The dead and dying trees have been identified as being infested with spruce beetle. Spruce beetle is a native forest insect which has infested isolated portions of Eagle County for more than 10 years. The Town of Vail has been actively monitoring and managing localized spruce beetle activity since 2015.  

Similar to the mountain pine beetle epidemic in the early-2000s, spruce beetles lay their eggs under the bark of the impacted tree. The process effectively girdles the tree, cutting off the water supply and the tree begins to die. The eggs hatch in one or two seasons and then fly to new trees to begin the process again.  

Only trees that have been infested by the beetles will be removed. Removal of the impacted “brood trees” will eliminate the next generation of beetles. Over the past five years, the town has annually installed 1,000 to 2,000 MCH pheromone packets throughout the stream tract to help protect spruce trees. The pheromone acts as a deterrent but is not considered 100% effective.   There are preventative insecticides available, however they cannot be used in close proximity to open water due to environmental hazards. 

During the removal process, the Gore Valley Trail through the Grand Hyatt will be detoured around the project site. Signs and flaggers will be in place to ensure the public’s safety. The work will be completed over a two- to three-week period. For more information, contact Town of Vail Landscape Architect Gregg Barrie at 970-479-2337 or at gbarrie@vail.gov.   

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