Talk about a toxic relationship.

The piñon ips, a native bark beetle species that targets stressed trees, has made "severe inroads" in piñon populations around the state, according to a Monday post on X from the New Mexico Forestry Division.

Evergreen piñon can be seen turning yellow and brown as the insects infest the trees. Even healthy trees are at risk when the beetle populations are high.

According to a flyer produced by the division, the iconic New Mexican tree is experiencing a "widespread mortality event." Severe drought last winter left stands of piñon vulnerable to the insect species.

That comes after the state Forestry Division reported in April that the number of conifer deaths doubled between 2023 and 2024, with around 70,000 acres of dead conifer trees found around th

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