Why are pine prices reduced during pine beetle epidemics?
More wood is on the market creating more supply than demand. Thus, prices are reduced. Also, pine beetle-infested timber reduces the quality of timber products. For example, pine beetle wood is of a lower moisture content than harvested green timber. The lower moisture content affects the chip size and the digester time for papermaking. These additional variances can alter the quality of paper being made, thus increasing costs. The blue stain in wood also alters the appearance of many wood products making, them undesirable for consumers. Most of the time, the stain is only a visual blemish, not affecting structural integrity. However, consumers will avoid stained timber, whether for lumber, oriented strandboard, or preservative timbers based on appearance. Consistency, appearance and quality are what consumers look for from a manufacturer. Blue-stain from beetle infested pine does not meet consumer’s specifications, thus creating a lower demand for this timber.
