Mountain pine beetle-caused mortality over eight years in two pine hosts in mixed conifer stands of the southern Rocky Mountains

•We surveyed mountain pine beetle attacks on alternative host species in mixed stands.•Average total mortality was 39% in both lodgepole and ponderosa pine from 2004–2011.•Ponderosa mortality was associated with the previous year’s MPB levels in both pines.•Lodgepole mortality was associated with the previous year’s MPB levels in lodgepole.•No evidence was found of increased resilience to MPB attack for ponderosa vs. lodgepole.