Mountain pine beetles and pine wilt disease are posing a threat to Nebraska's trees.

The beetles are being reported in Scottsbluff, Gering, Kimball, Sidney and parts of the Wildcat Hills and Pine Ridge. The Nebraska Forest Service says only a few trees have been killed so far, but more are at risk.

The trees die of malnourishment, because the beetles' damage cuts off the flow of water and nutrients

The beetles were first reported in Nebraska last year.

Meanwhile, the southeast part of the state has been contending with pine wilt for about a decade.

The disease is caused by an organism carried from tree to tree by pine sawyer beetles. The organism disrupts the flow of sap, killing the tree.