NCX Guides
Southern Pine Beetle Guide
Learn about the what Southern Pine Beetle is, how it damages forests, and how to prevent it.
Forests across the Southeastern United States are facing a growing and persistent threat: the Southern Pine Beetle (SPB). This tiny but destructive insect has been responsible for killing millions of acres of pine trees, devastating timber markets, and altering entire ecosystems. As outbreaks move throughout the Southeast, understanding how to identify, manage, and prevent them is critical for landowners and forestry professionals alike.
What is Southern Pine Beetle?
Do Your Southern Pine Beetle Checkup
Starting with availability in Mississippi only, the SPB Checkup offered by NCX helps landowners and forest managers identify risk on their properties and in the surrounding area so that they can take action quickly. Login now to see how your property scores. As the threat of SPB continues to grow, landowners and forestry professionals are adopting more aggressive proactive management strategies. State and federal agencies, as well as private forestry organizations, offer technical and financial assistance to help landowners manage their forests for SPB resilience. In certain states like Mississippi, there are programs that incentivize thinning as a preventive measure for SPB outbreaks. Cost share programs like CSP and EQIP also support various forest health practices like prescribed burning, which can help mitigate SPB risk. NCX can help you compare action plans and programs to assist with SPB prevention.
Common Signs of Southern Pine Beetle
Southern Pine Beetles attack live trees by tunneling under the bark and laying eggs. As larvae develop, they feed on the tree’s cambium layer, effectively girdling the tree and cutting off its ability to move water and nutrients. These beetles also introduce a blue-stain fungus that further accelerates tree mortality.
Early detection and proactive management are key to controlling an outbreak.
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01 Pitch tubes
Small, popcorn-like resin masses on the tree bark where beetles have entered.
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02 Sawdust at the base of the tree
Caused by beetle boring activity.
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03 Needle discoloration
Yellowing and eventual reddening of the needles, signaling a dying tree.
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04 Rapid expansion of dead trees
SPB outbreaks typically spread in a distinct pattern, killing trees in large patches.
How to Prevent Southern Pine Beetle Outbreaks
There are a few forest management strategies that help reduce the risk of a widespread southern pine beetle infestation.
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Thinning dense pine stands
Reducing tree competition can improve tree health and resilience.
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Promoting species diversity
Mixed forests are less susceptible to large-scale SPB outbreaks. Also species like longleaf pine are more resistant to SPB than loblolly.
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Using prescribed burns
Controlled fire reduces beetle habitat and improves forest health overall.
Why Are Southern Pine Beetle Outbreaks Increasing?
Overly Dense Forests – Many southern pine forests are overstocked, providing ideal conditions for SPB outbreaks. When trees grow too close together, they become stressed due to competition for resources, making them more vulnerable to infestation. Challenges prompted by mill closures leading to lower demand for small diameter trees has exacerbated this trend.
Drought and Heat – Warmer winters and longer growing seasons are allowing SPB populations to survive and reproduce at higher rates. Drought conditions also weaken trees, making them more susceptible to attack. This, coupled with dense forests, has led to a dire situation in many southern forests.
Decline of Natural Predators – Some natural predators, like woodpeckers and predatory beetles, help control SPB populations. However, habitat fragmentation, changing land use patterns, and overall population declines have reduced these natural checks on beetle numbers.
Get Personalized SPB Prevention Recommendations
Your SPB Action Map provided by NCX will show you a recommended treatment plan based on your unique goals and forest attributes.