Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-07-28
Prevent Spread of Southern
Pine Beetle by Cutting Out
Infested Trees.

More northumberland timber
probably was killed in the Southern
pine belt during the last 80 years by
the Southern pine beetle than died
from all other causes combined. 1t
is. ,one of the most destructive enc
mics of all species of pine, from
Pennsylvania to Texas, yet the pre-
vention of serious outbreaks and the
control of this menace to the great
timber resources of the South not
only are possible but entirely practi-
cable, say specialists of the United
States Department of Agriculture in
Farmers Bulletin 1888, The South
ern Pine Beetle, recently published.
1t is only necessary, says the bulletin,
to cut and utilize for fuel OF lumber,
during the fall and winter months,
all treesthat died during the late
summer and fall, making sure that
the bark of the main trunk IS
burned.
Spread Rapidly When Well Estab-
lished.
Under average OF normal condl-
tions caused by activities Of the bee
tie a few scattering trees are killed
by it each year in mature stands OF
pine timber throughout the Southern
States. When conditions become fav-
orable for the multiplication of the
insect, it is able to kill groups Of
trees, and if these groups increase j n
number and size the following year
they constitute the danger signal of
an outbreak which may result in
widespread devastations, according
TO the bulletin.
Between 1890 and 1898 these bee
ties killed a very large percentage OF
the yellow, pitch and white pines of
West Virginia and Virginia, and
since the earliest records, in 1912,
have killed a vast amount of timber
In the Atlantic and Gulf States, most
of which has been a total loss. Their
destruction can only be compared to,
that caused by forest fires, and, as
has been demonstrated, they may
lead to far greater destruction than
has ever been recorded as resulting
from fires alone in the Southern
States.
Excavates Long Burrows.
The insect is a small brownish or
black beetle, somewhat smaller than
a grain of rice. It flies from March
TO December in the more southern
sections, and from May to November
in it's northern range. 1t attacks the
middle and upper portions of the
trunks of healthy pine trees, causing
their death by ~excavating long, wind
ing burrows, or egg galleries, which
extend through the inner layers OF
the living bark and mark the surface
of the wood.
Their presence is plainly indicated
by patches of dying OF dead pine
which show no evidence of injury
by fire or other destructive agencies.
The trees infested by the developing
broods are indicated by the fading
green, greenish-brown, or yellowish-
red of the foliage, and positively de-
termined by the removal of some OF
the bark from the middle of the
trunks and the finding of character
istic work in the, inner bark or on
the surface of the wood.
Converting the trunks of the in
tested trees into cordwood and using
it for fuel before the beetles leave
the bark the following spring, or
making the timber into lumber and
burning the slab or bark are the best
methods of preventing the spread of
the insect. Bark on the infested trees
still standing is sometimes removed
and burned to check the spread of
the insect. The best time to conduct
control operations is during the pc
Rod between December 1 and March
I. 1t is essential, before control work
is undertaken, that someone who is
familiar with the work of the beetle
take charge of the operations. Trees
for several miles around an infested
area should be carefully examined,
and for this reason wners of pines
should cooperate in carrying on the
control work.