Cut It Out! Managing Southern Pine Beetle Infestations in a Changing Forest Environment
The southern pine beetle is the most impactful pest of southern pines in the eastern U.S. A new article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management reviews SPB suppression methods, which generally involve removing the infested (and some uninfested) trees to halt the spread of the outbreak.
Meet the Fungus That Slows the Spread of an Invasive Moth
One of the best tools for forest entomologists to manage outbreaks of the moth Lymantria dispar is a fungus, native to Japan, that was discovered in the U.S. in 1989. Entomophaga maimaiga can be spread via soil containing its spores or infected L. dispar larvae.
Pheromone Treatment Puts Up the “No Vacancy” Sign for Douglas-Fir Beetles
A new review article looks at the research and development of a leading method for protecting Douglas-fir trees from bark-beetle infestations, using the pests' antiaggregation pheromone against them—essentially putting up a "no vacancy" sign that sends the beetles elsewhere.
Hitchin’ a Ride: A Review of Firewood as a Vector of Forest Pests in North America
Human-mediated movement is a major way in which forest pests get from one place to another. Many pests that live in or on wood can be unknowingly moved in firewood. A new review in the Journal of Economic Entomology looks at what we know about forest pest movement in firewood, and what we can do about it.