People, Plants, and Pollinators edition - April 2026

Join Kaitlin Haase for a conversation with Victor Lucero, Forest Health Program Coordinator with the New Mexico Forestry Division. Kaitlin and Victor discuss how to manage tree pests while protecting pollinator and beneficial insects in your yard, with special attention to pinon scale identification, life cycles, and management options. For example to minimize impacts to beneficial insects when treating pinon needle scale, seasonal direct application of neem or horticultural oils immediately after egg hatch is a significantly less harmful chemical option compared to long-lasting tree injections or soil soaks of systemic synthetic insecticides. 

NMSU Desert Blooms blog - Pinon Needle Scale Part 1 and Part 2