Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) in central Colorado has been dealing with a small insect infestation for the last two years, but the Gunnison County resort is fighting back using small packets of pheromones stapled to trees.

Mountain pine beetles were first detected mountainside at CBMR in 2023 after aerial surveys found isolated clusters of dead lodgepole pine and sub-alpine fir trees in the East River forest on the northeast side of the resort.

During the 2024 season, ground crews revisited large areas of lodgepole pine within and around CBMR’s boundaries, confirming limited but recent beetle activity among the trees.

"The relatively fresh condition of affected trees, combined with minimal evidence of older mortality, suggested that beetles may have moved in from surrounding area

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