Forest Pests: Insects, Diseases & Other Damage Agents

Forest Entomology Section Forest Health Guide for Georgia Foresters Written by Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission Adapted for the web by the Bugwood Network

Insects make up over 90% of all existing animal species. Over 1 million species have been identified. Not all forest insects are harmful. Many are beneficial predators and parasites that feed on the harmful species.

There are insect groups that are specialized to attack every part of a tree. Insects can attack flowers, seeds, roots, stems and foliage and others even transmit disease to living trees.

The insects discussed in this manual are some of the most common species encountered by foresters. Some are capable of causing measurable economic losses and others are considered minor pests. The southern pine beetle is an example of a forest insect that causes astronomical losses. Since 1972, the southern pine beetle alone has killed enough trees in Georgia that if placed end to end would reach to the moon eight times.

Subterranean termites in 2002 cost Georgians an estimated $121,610,170 in treatment costs and in repairs.

Outbreaks of forest insects are often discovered during aerial surveys conducted in a systematic manner by state and federal forestry agencies. Foresters working in the field often discover many of the smaller occurrences of forest insects. Both methods of detection are very important in quantifying and qualifying forest damage. Once an infestation has been discovered it can be evaluated for its economic impact if any to the forest. Control recommendations can then be tailored to deal with the problem.

The Georgia Forestry Commission employs persons who trap and/or look for evidence of various non-native insects which could have catastrophic impacts on Gerogia’s forest resources. These monitoring efforts are done in conjunction with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and the Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS). These non-native insects include Gypsy Moth, Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle, and the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Today’s global economy and the staggering volume of cargo shipped into Georgia, along with the migration of tens of thousands of U.S. citizens moving to the Peach State make the inadvertent introduction of these pests a very real threat.

Control of forest insects may include salvage removal of affected trees or an application of a pesticide. Pesticides may be used for prevention of an insect infestation or as a remedial control option. Most of the insecticides used in forestry today are considered to be short-lived in the environment or are host specific such as the biological Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The recent EPA registration of verbenone to control the southern pine beetle is an indication that foresters want to minimize the impact they have on the environment.

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