Unit – Populations
Life Science
Lesson 3
A Year in the Life of a Mountain Pine Beetle
By: Buford the Mountain Pine Beetle
Purpose:
This story is a way to bring reading into the science classroom. This booklet was created by the
Colorado State Forest Service and serves to introduce the students to the pine beetle and its role in the forest.
Students will learn about the life cycle of the pine beetle and how it uses the lodgepole pine tree to live.
Time: 1 class period
Materials:
Booklet “A year in the life of a mountain pine beetle” – one for each student.
Worksheet – Guided reading
Lesson Overview:
Students read the story individually (or in partners) and use the worksheet to answer questions about
their reading. Once done, if there is time, a discussion can follow about what they have learned about these
beetles.
Activity 4
Page 1
Unit – Populations
Life Science
Lesson 3
A Year in the Life of a Mountain Pine Beetle
By: Buford the Mountain Pine Beetle
Name: _________________________
You are about to learn about Buford, the Mountain Pine Beetle. This worksheet will guide you in picking out
the most important parts of Buford’s life and help you understand how his species lives and their role in an
ecosystem.
As you read answer the following questions:
1. What do scientists like to call Mountain Pine Beetles?
______________________________________________________________________
2. What are the little groves on the body of a Pine Beetle called? ____________________
3. What do those groves carry? _______________________________________________
4. What type of relationship does the Beetle and the fungus have? ___________________
5. What do Pine Beetles do to large, stressed out trees? ____________________________
6. Where are Pine Beetles from? ______________________________________________
7. How long have they been here? _____________________________________________
8. Where do Pine beetles make their home? _____________________________________
9. What four types of trees do these beetles like to make their home in?
____________________________
______________________________
____________________________
______________________________
10. What trees does Buford’s family prefer? _______________________________________
11. What did Buford’s instincts tell him to look for when searching for a new home?
________________________________________________________________________
12. What is the name of the tree odor that Buford looked for? _________________________
13. What changes with a tree’s age, species, and health? _____________________________
14. How long does a Beetle live? ________________________________________________
Activity 4
Page 2
Unit – Populations
Life Science
Lesson 3
15. What are the four stages of the life of a Beetle?
__________________________
_____________________________
__________________________
_____________________________
16. When Buford and Bernadette have children, where will they feed and grow?
_______________________________________________________________________
17. A tree can produce a high amount of what substance? ____________________________
18. Healthy trees have stronger _____________ and is why the beetles prefer older stressed out trees.
19. When a bunch of beetles come together in one tree they can help do what?
________________________________________________________________________
20. When a tree becomes full of beetles what do the beetles do? _______________________
_______________________________________________________________________
21. What did Bernadette make inside the tree? ____________________________________
22. How many eggs can Bernadette lay? _________________________________________
23. What do Buford’s and Bernadette’s children produce to help them survive the extremely
cold temperatures of winter? _______________________________________________
24. How cold can it get and the beetles still survive? ________________________________
25. What types of animals try to eat the beetles? ___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
26. What does the blue stain fungus that the beetles carry in their grooves do to the trees?
_______________________________________________________________________
27. What do the lodgepole pines need to start a fresh, new forest? _____________________
28. The beetles help make room for _____________, _______________, and ___________
for the new trees.
Activity 4
Page 3