DEC’s Forest Health team has seen some success in tackling southern pine beetle (SPB) and restoring the pine barrens on Long Island.
If you live on Long Island or in the Hudson Valley, keep your eyes out for signs of southern pine beetle, which are active and flying now.
The most common signs include:
- a group of pine trees with needles yellowing at the same time,
- pitch tubes, or popcorn-shaped clumps of resin on the tree’s bark all the way up the tree, and
- shotgun-patterned holes on the bark.
SPB is not yet known to be established in the Hudson Valley, and you can help us keep it that way by finding any possible infestations early. If you’ve seen signs of SPB in these two regions of New York, submit a report to iMapInvasives on their free and easy to use app or via their online system. You can find more info on SPB, including more photos, on DEC’s website.
Photo: A pine infested with southern pine beetles will have pitch tubes, or clumps of resin, on the bark visible all the way up the tree. This one contains a single southern pine beetle, provided.
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