The mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae is a species of bark beetle native to the forests of western North America from Mexico to central British Columbia. It has a hard black exoskeleton and measures approximately 5 mm, about the size of a grain of rice.
The first mountain pine beetle outbreak started in British Columbia in the early 1990s. The insect has since killed about 50% of the total volume of commercial lodgepole pine in the province. Not just limiting itself to lodgepole pine any longer, the beetle is also reproducing in jack pine.
The mountain pine beetle has a one-year life cycle in most of its range but may take more or less time to complete its development, depending on local temperatures. Adult beetles usually disperse in July or August, depending on the region, to colonize new host trees. Females attack first and release semiochemicals called aggregation pheromones that attract more females and males to the tree. Female beetles lay eggs along the sides of vertical galleries that they excavate in the inner bark of the tree. Newly hatched larvae mine away from the egg galleries. Insects usually overwinter as larvae, completing their development the following spring and pupating in June or July.
During gallery construction, fungal symbionts carried by beetles in specialized pockets in one of the mouthparts are introduced to the trees. The fungi colonize the inner bark and sapwood, interrupting tree function and defence in addition to changing the moisture and chemistry of tree tissues in which insects are developing. The fungi sporulate in pupal chambers and new adults feed on the spores before emerging and dispersing to a new host tree.
Trees defend themselves against mountain pine beetle attack with toxic resin. Low or endemic beetle populations cannot overcome the defences of healthy trees and attack suppressed weak or dying trees. Suppressed and weak trees are usually poor-quality hosts for the beetles because they may already have been attacked by competing insects and the thin inner bark layer is a poor habitat.
As populations increase, the mountain pine beetle is able to overwhelm the defence of larger and healthier trees through a rapid, coordinated group or mass attack. Large trees provide better habitat and produce more beetles. This results in positive feedback and rapid population growth. Tree defence may be important in regulating low or endemic populations, but they become inconsequential when beetle populations are high.
Now to identify a pine beetle infestation one must look for the following signs:
Pitch Tubes: Popcorn-shaped globs of sap called pitch tubes will be found in the trunk where the beetle begins tunneling. These indicate the tree has tried to “pitch out” the beetle. A red or brown color in the pitch tube indicates a successful attack by the beetle. The color comes from boring dust on the pitch. A white color indicates an unsuccessful attack – the tree was able to get rid of the beetle before it began boring. A tree with only a few white tubes has a chance of survival. If there are several colored tubes present, the tree should be removed.
Heavy Woodpecker Damage: Evidence of woodpeckers feeding on the trunk may indicate mountain pine beetle infestation in a tree. Signs include patches of bark missing where the woodpecker was feeding and bark flakes on the ground below the tree. Woodpeckers also like to feed on the its beetle.
Foliage Color Change: The foliage of trees that have been fatally infested will change color from green to yellow to red. This color change starts the following spring after the previous summer’s mountain pine beetle flight. A tree with red needles is beyond the point of saving.
Boring Dust: Pine beetles produce a boring dust as they successfully enter into the host tree. You may notice this sawdust-like material in bark crevices or on the ground around the base of the tree. If boring dust is present around the entire base of the tree, the tree is beyond the point of saving.
Presence of Live Beetles: One can identify mountain pine beetles throughout their lifecycle by peeling the bark off an infested tree; one can find eggs, larva, pupae and/or adult beetles underneath.
Blue Stain: Pine beetles introduce a fungus as they bore into the tree that stains the sapwood a blue or grey color.
Let us look at some of the recent news pertaining to the damage caused by mountain pine beetles
Mountain Pine Beetles Still Beating the Cold in K-Country
18 December 2016, Canada
It’s supposed to be a long, cold and nasty winter this year if you believe the Farmer’s Almanac. That’s just what Alberta Forestry officials are hoping.
The battle against Mountain Pine Beetle has been a long one. Our mild winters over the past few years have allowed the Mountain Pine Beetle population in the province to rise and become harder to manage.
Mountain Pine Beetle is a species of Bark Beetles that unlike the rest of their creepy-crawly family, target healthy trees in our forests and have damaging effects on overall forest health.
California: Why tiny insects are tearing up Sierra forests
December 14 2016, California, USA
Western pine beetles, native inhabitants of Sierra Nevada forests, typically go unnoticed. The grain-of-rice-sized insects live a quiet life, spent mostly beneath the bark of weak, diseased or injured trees.
But the beetles of late have been causing uproar. They have been decimating ponderosa pine trees throughout the central and southern Sierra, turning entire hillsides red — the color the pines turn just before they die. Last month, the U.S. Forest Service reported that there are over 100 million dead trees in the Sierra — more than double the amount in 2015, when the dying trees prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency.
We need an immediate solution for this problem of mountain pine beetle infestation. Do we have any effective and long lasting solution? Yes, we do.
Termirepel ™, an anti-insect additive, a C Tech Corporation product is an ideal solution for the prevention and control of pine beetle infestation.
Termirepel™ is non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, non-hazardous and environment-friendly insect repellent. Termirepel™ works against 500 species of insects.
Termirepel™ is available in form of solid masterbatches, liquid form, and lacquer. The product does not kill the target species; it just repels them. It follows 6 tiered mechanism, which is extremely effective on insects like pine beetles, aphids, ants, termites etc. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, REACH, ISO, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted. The liquid concentrate and the lacquer can be coated on the fencing, tree guards etc. Also, Termirepel™ masterbatch can be incorporated in agricultural films, mulches, etc. during polymer processing.