What are these mountain pine beetles that are killing trees in the West?
EDMONTON – Alberta is the new battleground against the eastward spread of the mountain pine beetle. Here are some facts about the tiny bug that has already killed or attacked 75 per cent of British Columbia’s mature lodgepole pines and has infested more than 500,000 trees in Alberta. Q: What is the mountain pine beetle? A: The beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) is the most damaging insect pest of pine trees in western North America. The bugs are about the size of a grain of rice and bore under the bark of trees, laying eggs. Newly hatched beetles take flight in the summer, looking for new trees to infest. Q: How do the beetles kill the pine trees? A: The beetles deposit a fungus that cuts off nutrients and water to the tree. The needles of infested pine turn red as the tree dies. There are often enough insects emerging from one infested tree to attack up to 10 additional trees. Q: Where did the beetles come from? A: The mountain pine beetle is native to parts of British Columbia
