The Southern pine beetle is our worst beetle and should be taken very seriously.
Southern pine beetle attacks are not new, but most recently have reached epidemic proportions in the upstate counties of South Carolina.
Our firm is helping landowners control the beetle, and we are available to help you with your situation. Our firm has experienced foresters and a staff that can assist as needed.
In many cases, it is best to slow the infestation with an initial attack on any hot spots and then make a long-range plan such as the Forest Stewardship Plan for the next steps. Our firm prepares the Forest Stewardship Plan, which is written by a professional forester and is cost-free to the landowner. The South Carolina Forestry Commission provides funding for the plan and pays for its preparation.
Give us a call or complete the form under Contact on this web site.
Additional information on www.bugwood.org
By Ken Cabe, Information Officer
PINE BEETLE EPIDEMIC CONTINUES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2002 (Columbia, SC)
Nature’s one-two punch has upstate forests reeling, and coastal plain woodlands may be next in line. Forestry Commission experts say prolonged drought and continued attacks by southern pine beetles may take a heavy toll this summer.
“The outlook is not good,” said forest health scientist Andy Boone. Boone said that many trees are so weak from drought that they simply can’t fight off the insect attacks. As for the drought, climatologist Hope Mizzell with the Department of Natural Resources explained that long-range forecasts call for below normal precipitation during April, May, and June.
The southern pine beetle epidemic now includes 18 upstate counties; Boone expects heavy losses in most of these counties again this summer. Infestations are also appearing in Horry and Williamsburg counties, raising concerns that the epidemic may spread into the coastal plain.
Losses this summer will depend largely on the number of beetles present in any given area. Boone said Forestry Commission workers are installing beetle traps throughout the upstate and in ten counties along the coast. The trapping results will help estimate insect populations and provide insight into how bad the summer outbreak will be.
The southern pine beetle epidemic started in 1999 as drought began to take toll on forest vigor. Since then, the insects have killed more than $138 million worth of timber, mostly in the upstate. Losses in the past five months alone amounted to over one million trees valued at almost $13 million.
Landowners and homeowners should watch for signs of southern pine beetle attacks in their trees. Most notable are small spots of pitch appearing along the tree trunk, marking the spots where beetles bored into the tree. Foliage of affected trees will begin to turn yellow-green and eventually become rusty red.
Boone cautioned that other tree problems can sometimes be confused with southern pine beetle attacks. Before any control measures are taken, the attack should be confirmed by an unbiased forester or registered arborist.
For more information, contact: Ken Cabe, 803-896-8820.
JPEG photo of southern pine beetle trap on the web at