News page 1 [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ NEW FEATURE: Get Current News on Pine Beetle here]

Warning for the Okanagan Region

Source: Dr. John Borden, PheroTech. Feb 23, 2006
Dr. John Borden's field test reveals that the Okanagan will have a pine beetle flight in late May as opposed to the late june to early july flight that normally occurs. The winter has been so mild that the Larvae are further developed than normal and showing signs of early flight. Please order online for your best defense strategy!

Bug Wars

Source: National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
A 10-year-old mountain pine beetle infestation in west central British Columbia increased fourfold in 2000. More than 600,000 hectares of trees were infested and some 27 per cent of the total value of Canadian softwood production in 2000-01 was affected, for a loss of $3.2 billion. Dr. John Borden of Simon Fraser University is studying various forest insects, such as the mountain pine beetle. His research in chemical ecology investigates the role of message-bearing semiochemicals that help communication between animals, and between animals and plants. His findings have made it possible to identify and synthesize many natural semiochemicals, and have resulted in commercially useful applications
Read more here >>

Short term gain for long term pain in the forest

B.C.'s lumber industry is increasing its logging levels in the Prince George region in the hopes of stopping the mountain pine beetle in its tracks and reaping some profit. It will be short-term gain though, with long-term pain the likely prospect. The mountain pine beetle is expected to devour 80 percent of B.C.'s mature pine by 2013. SFU biologist and pine beetle expert John Borden has long argued B.C.'s mountain pine beetle infestation is a forestry emergency and requires more than money to resolve. Borden can talk about his view of what lies ahead for BC in dealing with this emergency.

Evaluation of two repellent semiochemicals for disruption of attack by the mountain pine beetle

Source: Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia, by Dr. John Borden
In the second tree protection experiment near Princeton (Exp. 4A), the binary combination of MCH and 2-phenyl ethanol reduced the percentage of baited trees that were mass-attacked by 40%, but did not cause a reduction in the proportion of surrounding trees that were mass-attacked (Table 2). All treatments containing verbenone reduced attack to zero or to a level not significantly different from zero. In Exp. 4B near Prince George, all treatments significantly and equally reduced the percentage of baited trees that were mass-attacked, but no treatment had a significant effect on attack on surrounding trees.
Read more here >>

Province clamping down on Pine Beetle

Source: BC Wildlife Federation
The British Columbia government says it is taking unprecedented action in an attempt to stop the voracious mountain pine beetle from spreading deeper into Canada's forests. Details were released yesterday of a $100-million, federally funded emergency response plan, announced last spring, to control the insect. The province fears the beetle could reach the Canadian Shield, which stretches from the Northwest Territories to Labrador.
Read more here >>


More news articles >>