Hello,

Those are metallic wood boring beetles (Family Buprestidae). The more drab colored one is in the genus Chalcophora. These beetles are known to feed on dead/dying pines. Do you have other pines on the property that are of high value to you?

Hi John, 

Some things to consider: These insects attacking stressed/dying trees. Treatment can be costly, and I'm not sure if you are willing to treat every single tree. So you will need to evaluate which trees are candidates to keep and treat.

This evaluation can be done by an arborist. However, I recommend having your evaluations done by someone from CSU Extension (e.g. El Paso county extension). I say that because I had several experiences where tree care companies misinform clients with the goal of inflating their bill. This does not represent all tree care companies, and the one you have may be quite reliable, just my personal recommendation. 

If a tree is not a candidate for treatment, it should be cut down and mulched. The beetles can still feed in the felled trees. 

For trees you intend to keep, there are several measures you can take to bolster their health. 

• Proper watering, especially during the winter, is crucial to reducing stress. Drought-stressed trees are more vulnerable to attack. 
• Prune out dead limbs from trees. Dead limbs are fertile breeding ground for these beetles.
• There are insecticides that can be applied to prevent against beetle damage. Being preventatives, they do nothing to address beetles already burrowed into the wood. These insecticides are applied as bark sprays 2-3 times per year. They are usually pyrethroids, and would need to be applied by a licensed professional. Avoid applying these insecticides near bodies of water as they are very toxic to aquatic ecosystems. 

I know this is a lot of information, and it's a big undertaking. So let me know if you'd like to chat on the phone about this.