Georgia is suffering under an unusually heavy outbreak of southern pine beetle infestations that are wreaking havoc on forests and landscapes across our state, including right here, in Alpharetta.
Southern pine beetles become active every spring around the same time that redbud and dogwood trees begin to bloom. The insects are small, smaller than a grain of rice, but can wipe out acres of trees because an infestation can spread quickly and the only way to stop it is to remove infested trees and a swath of healthy trees around them.
Based on more than 35 years of aerial survey data in Georgia, southern pine beetle outbreaks tend to be cyclic and often correspond with weather events of drought or flooding, depending on the location within Georgia. The data further suggests that populations in Georgia’s Piedmont Region, which includes Alpharetta and surrounding areas, increase to epidemic levels every six to 10 years.
2024 is proving to be an epidemic year for southern pine beetle activity.
The insects attack and kill all species of yellow pine trees in Georgia. The trees are most susceptible when they are stressed by drought, flooding, storm damage, or by stand conditions such as overcrowding, old age, or root disease. Lightning-struck trees are particularly vulnerable to attack; however, during epidemic years as we are experiencing now, even the healthiest of trees can be attacked and killed.
Property owners and landscape workers are urged to regularly inspect trees for signs of southern pine beetles. Those symptoms include fading crown color, dropping green needles, pitch on the tree that resembles popcorn, and boring/sawdust left by the insects chewing into the trees. The beetle constructs winding egg galleries under the bark, effectively girdling the tree and destroying its conductive tissue that transports food throughout the tree. In addition, the beetles carry a blue stain fungus that clogs water tissues, killing the tree and harming the final wood product.
For additional information, please reference these publications:
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Pine Bark Beetles In Urban Areas
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Pine Beetle: The Urban Problem