Gov't reports further reductions in mt. pine beetle population

Cold winters and an aggressive control program have significantly reduced the mountain pine beetle (MPB) population in Alberta by 98 per cent since its peak in 2019, reports the Alberta government.

That's a four per cent improvement over last year when the government reported a 94 per cent reduction in the infestation. It's not only good news for the Alberta industry but pine forests, watersheds, and wildlife.

Infected tree crowns typically fade within a year to a red-brown, as seen here in a forest in the Hinton area. (photo.AB Gov't)

The mountain pine beetle carries a blue-stain fungi that clogs and destroys the conductive tissue of an affected tree when the beetle burrows into the tree to feed and take cover. 

In 2022, the province estimated the beetle had affected more than 2.4 million hectares of forest. It is estimated there are 5.5 million hectares of pine in Alberta that are susceptible to MPB with a value of more than $11 billion.

Its spread has been causing considerable ecological change in pine forests with significant implications to wildlife and watersheds.

The province uses a variety of management measures to monitor its population. When an infestation is confirmed, trees are commonly harvested before their population takes flight in the fall.  (photo/Noel Edey)

To mitigate its impact, the province has been actively managing mountain pine beetle for more than 15 years. Alberta Forestry and Parks minister Todd Loewen confirms the province will continue to invest in the mountain pine beetle control program to ensure its continued success.

Alberta uses management measures like population monitoring, risk assessments, cutting and burning infested trees, and harvesting highly vulnerable pine to reduce their impact upon the province’s forests. The beetle has the capacity to kill large tracts of mature pine, threatening Alberta’s communities, industry and forest resilience.

Currently, a ground operation is underway on southwestern Alberta.

Prolonged fall cold snaps and winter temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius play a major role in killing off their population.

The beetles have been making their way east across North America. The MPB outbreak in British Columbia infested more than 18 million hectares and killed 731 million cubic metres, or 54 per cent, of the province's merchantable lodgepole pine.

Both Alberta and Saskatchewan have been taking a more aggressive approach to fighting their spread. Saskatchewan sees itself as a critical barrier to stopping the spread of mountain pine beetles in Canada’s boreal forest.

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