Tiny Pest Wreaking Havoc On NJ’s Pinelands

By Cleve Bryan

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (CBS) Chainsaws are buzzing throughout New Jerseys Pinelands.

This isnt commercial logging; its pest control.

New Jersey is waging war against the invasive Southern pine beetle.

Right now, when the weather gets a little bit cooler, they dont move. So, nows the time when we want to get most of the work that we have to do done, says Ron Corcory, of the NJ Forestry Services.

Droves of Southern pine beetles showed up in New Jersey about a decade ago.

They feed on the living tissue under the bark of the trees, creating squiggly lines. As they bore through the pine, they introduce blue fungus that essentially chokes the tree.

The tree starts sending out sap to try and defend itself and force the beetle out, explains a member of the NJ Forestry Services.

The forest service spraying insecticide isnt a viable option, but identifying and cutting down trees soon after theyre infected has proven to help control the beetle population.

It gets disoriented as it comes out, and theyre not very good flyers to begin with, says Corcory. So cutting the tree, although its not the ideal answerit is an option that works.

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Tiny Pest Wreaking Havoc On NJ’s Pinelands