The Alabama Forestry Commission says they’re the most destructive forest insect in the South.
Typically, approximately 60,000 pine trees are killed by the beetle. This year, it’s gearing up to be almost 1,000,000 trees.
Each beetle attacks in various stages and speeds. Aside from the browning of leaves, the beetles leave bubbles of sap and “s”-shaped winding patterns in trunks, which can make it hard to identify an outbreak from afar. Every year, the southern pine beetle is present in forests. Typically, 60,000 pine trees are killed, which has an approximate economic cost of around $800,000.With hundreds of thousands of trees dead from beetle infestation, the AFC has declared that it’s more than just the worst outbreak they’ve seen in over 20 years -- it’s an epidemic.
“It’s a loss of revenue from the land owner to the loggers, all the way up to the mills. This is income. This is their retirement, how they were planning on sending their kids to college. Forestry is one of the #1 industries in Alabama, so it affecting people’s pockets,” said Moss.
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