Kelowna

The mountain pine beetle is beginning to show itself in large numbers in Kelowna forests.

Monitoring traps for the beetle have started to catch higher numbers of adult beetles, particularly in the Mission and Knox Mountain areas.

Forest Health Technician, Blair Stewart, says they are not necessarily seeing more beetles than expected, but certainly more than have been seen to date.

"The numbers that are showing up now are definitely more than they were before, so we're definitely seeing the change between the preliminary flight that would show minor numbers and now you're seeing bigger numbers," says Stewart.

"There's no telling if this is the flight or if it's just being prolonged or how long it's going to last."

Stewart says there is really no way of telling whether this is the beginning or the end of a larger cycle.

"It all depends how it plays out. This is definitely just the start of what we are looking at for this summer for sure. I hope it doesn't turn out to be a lot of damage for the city, but it has been projected to be about 80 per cent damage."

He says those projections from the Ministry of Environment are based on what has happened in Prince George and Kamloops over the past few years.

In 2007, the pine beetles appeared later in the summer, arriving in August.

Stewart says the hot, dry weather this summer has accelerated their growth and maturing, bringing them out earlier in the season.

Residents with Ponderosa pine trees on their property are being asked to check for signs of attack and remove those trees that are affected.

Stewart says there are a number of signs to look for that point to pine beetle infestation, including:

• The bark has a regular pattern of holes where beetles have entered the bark and sawdust can be seen coming out of the holes.
  
• Woodpeckers have stripped off some of the bark.
  
• The foliage of the tree has turned yellow or red.
  
• A series of tunnels inside and just underneath the bark of attacked trees.

He says the city will continue to monitor the situation in local forests and regional parks.

Residents can get more information from the pine beetle hotline, 250-469-8457, or from the City's website, www.kelowna.ca.

Link: City of Kelowna website