Latest Bark beetle Stories

North Carolina State University researchers have found that a subset of fungus-farming ambrosia beetles may be in the early stages of a global epidemic threatening a number of economically important trees, including avocados, poplars and oaks."Only about 12 species of ambrosia beetle are creating problems so far, but there are thousands of other species in the world, many of which could be devastating to any number of tree species," says Dr. Jiri Hulcr, a postdoctoral research associate at NC...

Lodgepole pine, a hardy tree species that can thrive in cold temperatures and plays a key role in many western ecosystems, is already shrinking in range as a result of climate change "“ and may almost disappear from most of the Pacific Northwest by 2080, a new study concludes.Including Canada, where it is actually projected to increase in some places, lodgepole pine is expected to be able to survive in only 17 percent of its current range in the western parts of North America.The research,...

A new beetle-kill floor has been installed at Mi Cocina Mexican Restaurant in Littleton, Colorado. It is the first such application of beetle-kill pine flooring in a restaurant in the United States.Littleton, CO (PRWEB) December 1, 2010 A new beetle-kill floor has been installed at Mi Cocina Mexican Restaurant in Littleton, Colorado. It is the first such application of beetle-kill pine flooring in a restaurant in the United States.Information from The Beetle-kill Trade Association says,...

UBC researchers have helped developed a cheaper, faster way to compile draft genome sequences that could advance the fight against mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation and improve cancer research.Current sequencing methods have a variety of advantages and disadvantages--including the cost involved. Dr Steven Jones and colleagues at UBC, the BC Cancer Agency and Simon Fraser University have combined cutting edge hardware with novel software to compile genome sequences at a fraction of the...

Mountain pine beetles devastating lodgepole pine stands across the West might best be kept in check with aerial application of flakes containing a natural substance used in herbal teas that the insects release to avoid overcrowding host trees, according to a team of scientists.Findings from the U.S. Forest Service-funded study appear in the February issue of Forest Ecology and Management. The study was conducted in California and Idaho, and showed how applications of laminated flakes...

U.S scientists say pine bark beetles killing large areas of forests in the Rocky Mountains might be altering local weather patterns and air quality. The international research project is being led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. "Forests help control the atmosphere and there's a big difference between the impacts of a living forest and a dead forest," said NCAR scientist Alex Guenther. "With a dead forest, we may get different rainfall...

Utah researchers said bark beetles are destroying spruce trees in the Dixie National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service's Bark Beetle Technical Working Group said the bark beetle is an "agent of change" in conifer forests in the Rocky Mountain region, the Deseret Morning News reported this week. "We're talking hundreds of thousands of acres they have basically been wiped out -- pretty much the entire spruce component in the Dixie National Forest," Colleen Keyes of the Utah Division of Forestry,...

By Stephen Speckman Deseret News A vicious cycle is brewing in Utah: Bark beetles are killing a lot of trees in the state. Dead trees are fuel for wildfires, which experts say contributes to global warming. And climate change is now being blamed for an increased population of bark beetles. The Dixie National Forest bears one of the most obvious signs in Utah of the mark being left by a tiny tree predator commonly known as the bark beetle, a wood-boring insect that in large enough numbers...

By Hazlehurst, John During the last 10 years, mountain pine beetles have killed more than 1.5 million acres of lodgepole pines statewide. Summit County, home to Colorado's ski industry, has been particularly hard hit. The verdant forests that once framed Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Beaver Creek are dying, attacked by an invading army of microscopic beetles less than an eighth of an inch in length. Tens of thousands of acres of dead or dying trees now surround...

By Christine Weeber Pesticides often have larger effects than we intend. Some of those used in responding to the mountain pine beetle infestation are no different. Carbaryl, the active ingredient in the most common sprays used to protect trees against beetles, is one of these. It is a neurotoxin that is dangerous to humans and pets through skin contact, inhalation and ingestion through food or water. And it is highly toxic to bees, stoneflies and some fish. In 2005, 12 groups representing...