Southern Pine Beetle Still a Threat

Destruction from the southern pine beetle will likely surpass last year's, said state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin recently.

The threat is from a species about the size of a grain of rice, as the small bug chomps through the bark of Pinelands trees, he said.

“The infestation this season is on pace to equal or possibly surpass the estimated 14,000 acres that were killed last year,” Martin said.

New Jersey in under attack from bugs and not the “stinkbugs” many have combated on their patios and decks. The southern pine beetle has been infecting New Jersey’s pine trees for years with devastating results. This year looks to be another hard fought battle against the bark-eating beetle.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is working with the state Pinelands Commission to reduce infestation.

The  Pinelands Commission recently authorized the emergency cutting of 300 acres of dead and dying pine trees on state-owned lands in the Pinelands.

The DEP plans to conduct aerial surveys and use a $600,000 grant from the U. S. Forest Service to support pine beetle suppression. The possible burning of impacted areas is also included in the grant from the U. S. Forest Service.

Researchers from Rutgers University and Dartmouth are also being utilized as well as the U. S. Forest Service and the Texas Forest Service.

The use of pesticides is not effective at large-scale control of the southern pine beetle, according to the DEP.

Last year was the worst year for infestation by the southern pine beetle since the beetle was reported in New Jersey, according to DEP records.

With outbreaks in the southern United States since the late 1700’s, the southern pine beetle has been documented and recorded officially beginning in the 1960’s, according to the Forest Encyclopedia Network.

Since its arrival in the Garden State a decade ago, the southern pine beetle has been isolated south of the Mullica River watershed, according to the DEP.

But recent studies have shown infestation north of the river has occurred.

“The southern pine beetle is a non-native species that was first detected in New Jersey in 2001,” Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesperson.

“It’s a particularly damaging insect because it borrows into the cambium layer of pine trees and digs tunnels that cut off the flow of nutrients and water to the rest of the tree," he said. "Basically the tree dies.”

“We’ve had reports of pine beetle infestations since 2001, but we really had a bad year last year with most of the 14,000 acres lost being in the Southern Pinelands,” Hajna said.

Pockets of pine trees devastation have occurred in Wharton State Forest, Lebanon State Forest and farther north into Ocean County, he said.

“The state is taking a very aggressive stance to try to eliminate these pockets or hot spots where the southern pine beetle is popping up,” said Hajna. “We do that by cutting down the trees and laying them down, not necessarily removing the fallen trees. This disorients the beetles. They are not able to spread to the next line of trees. We are also working very hard on educating the public about this threat; getting the word out to local mayors, working through foresters and community forestry programs.”

Telltale signs of infestation include sap coming out of the trunk where the beetles drill into the tree. The pine tree’s needles will turn yellow and then brown when dead, he said.

The most effected tree in the region is the pitch pine tree, which is the trademark pine tree of the Pinelands.

“The infestations can start very quickly,” said Hajna. “It is a significant threat the to Pinelands ecosystem.”

The Pinelands Commission is working closely with the DEP to supress the pests, said Paul Leakan, spokesperson for the Pinelands Commission.

“We are taking this very seriously and we want to make sure that we do everything we can to help the DEP to combat the southern pine beetles," Leaken said.