A community information meeting and open house about increased Douglas fir bark beetle populations in the Prince George area will be held on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting, which will be held at the Edgewood Elementary school in Prince George (4440 Craig Dr.).

The Douglas fir bark beetle is native to B.C., but some areas of the province are experiencing higher than normal populations of these forest pests, including the area around Prince George. The beetles can infest and kill Douglas fir trees wherever they grow in British Columbia, especially in the Interior.

Staff from the ministry, City of Prince George and Industrial Forestry Service Ltd. will host the information meeting, and answer questions about Douglas fir beetles and their elevated populations in some areas.

Entomologists will explain the beetle’s life cycle, current management techniques and the trap tree trials that are underway in the region. They will also offer advice to residents to help mitigate the effects of Douglas fir beetles on private property.

The Feb. 22 meeting will include an overview of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development’s Forest Health Douglas Fir Bark Beetle Project on Crown land and provide details about management activities planned over the next year.

Quick Facts:

• Douglas fir bark beetle outbreaks occur regularly in B.C. and typically last up to five or six years.
• The shallow tunnels etched into the underside of the bark of Douglas fir trees (called “galleries”) are created by the beetle adults and larvae as they feed on the wood of an infested tree.
• When Douglas fir beetles attack, the needles of affected trees change colour in stages. The rate of colour change varies, but a pale green or yellow colour indicates that the tree has been attacked recently. Bright red needles generally indicate that the tree was attacked the previous year and brown trees with sparse foliage generally indicate that the tree has been dead for two or three years. A grey tree has lost all its needles and this colour usually indicates that the tree has been dead for more than two years.

Learn More:

Read more about the Douglas fir bark beetle and how to manage it on private property: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/forest-health/forest-pests/bark-beetles/douglas-fir-beetle/management