The spruce budworm population on the island’s west coast has seen an increase over the last year according to researchers.
It’s hoped that a spray program that recently wrapped up will put a dent in numbers of the destructive pest.
Eric Moise is a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service’s Corner Brook office. He says the decision to implement an early intervention strategy similar to that in New Brunswick appears to have met with some success.
Moise says the goal is not to eradicate the spruce budworm but to bring the populations back down to a level where natural predation and mortality can keep them in check.
Could you have guessed a small larva can cause so much damage? Below shows damage #sprucebudworm can inflict to Fir and Spruce trees. Zoom in, you can see current year shoots are bare and brown cause by heavily infestation. Trees can succumb to SBW feeding after five years!!! pic.twitter.com/LEttLptZHP
— Keegan Moore (@MooreBugsPlease) August 10, 2020
