Hordes of Bark Beetle Set To Wreak Havok & Destroy Michigan Forests This Year

There are a lot of insects that are dangerous to our forests, but one of the most invasive and damaging is the pine beetle, which is well known to have made its way into Michigan.

Normally, if these insects were feasting on trees that had already fallen over and died, there wouldn’t be a whole lot to worry about. But there have been many cases of these pests causing so much damage that they’ve actually shut down entire roads because of the damage they’ve caused.

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Aces.edu shares on their website when the beetles are most active throughout the year:

PBB are most active during the months of May through October. When average daily temperatures remain low, as in winter, beetle development slows significantly. Years with warm fall temperatures can see beetle activity reach deep into the fall season. In spring, as daily average temperatures rise into the mid-80s, beetle life cycles speed up, and their numbers increase. PBB activity increases about the time pine pollen is flying and dogwoods begin to flower.

What normally attracts pine bark beetles is trees that have suffered root damage, trees whose trunks have been damaged, trees that have been struck by lightning, choose that have been damaged by storms, drought, or that are too clumped together.

Considering Michigan forests just had a massive amount of trees damaged by an ice storm, experts fear the beetles will come in droves to infest these and nearby trees.

It's crucial to pick up when these have made their way onto trees because experts say that once infestation has taken place in the tree, there's no hope in salvaging the tree. There are a few products and pesticides that can prevent them from infesting, but this is an issue Michigan will see this year, regardless of preventives.