Bark Beetle Infestations and Water Stress
By Emily Buirkle
The Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), is the genus of bark beetles causing the greatest amount of damage to pine trees. Southern Pine Beetles (SPB) live in the phloem, the layer just under the bark. The beetles tunnel their way through the pine tree’s phloem as they eat, cutting off the circulation of nutrients, and ultimately killing the pine. As the average temperature of the globe increases, minimum winter temperatures are no longer reaching the lower lethal point in many areas. This warming trend has permitted SPBs to migrate north to areas such as the forests in southern New Jersey where they are destroying large stands (groups) of pine trees