Monkey Number 1 Says

A pesty one-two punch: Tussock moth and spruce budworm could equal devastation of forests by pine beetle

by Cam Fortems

Two natural pests threaten to slam into the Interior in the biggest outbreak of defoliators in a century, a government entomologist warned Thursday.

Lorraine Maclauchlan, an expert with the Ministry of Forests, outlined the threat and early plans for dealing with tussock moth and spruce budworm to a TNRD board meeting Thursday.

Both insects threaten to reach populations that could devastate Interior forests in the same way as mountain pine beetle.

“We’re approaching the worst defoliating event we’ve had in 100 years,” Maclauchlan said in an interview with reporters.

The province spent about $2 million last year on spray programs, using naturally occurring organisms, to control the insects in this region. Both are moths that feed on fir and spruce trees as caterpillars.

So let me get this right. We're seemingly not logging much of the bug kill in this province at the moment. Now we're faced with the seemingly inevitable destruction of two other species. And a weekly 6-49 or Super 7 winner could theoretically throw more money at this problem than our government managed last year? Un Fucking Believable.