Province, City of Prince George working together to keep local trees safe from spruce beetle infestations

Prince George is teaming up with the B.C. government to help save trees from spruce beetle infestations throughout the city. 

Residents will be seeing brown bubble pouches on local trees, which are plastic membranes containing an important pheromone that helps protect the tree from spruce beetles. 

According to the province, more than 350,000 hectares of forest in north-central B.C. are infested by the beetle, which is considered higher than normal. 

MCH, the pheromone being used, is naturally produced by beetles which let other beetles know that the tree is "taken," which will trick beetles into leaving the healthy trees alone. 

The City of Prince George says MCH has been commercially produced in Canada for close to three decades.

The substance is put into a small plastic membrane that resembles a little balloon which then diffuses it to the surrounding area at the same rate and way it would be released by beetles. 

This week, the city, as well as provincial staff, attached pouches to trees in Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park, Connaught Hill Park, Rainbow Park, Memorial Park Cemetery and blue spruce trees that are found near Highway 16 and Highway 97. 

The pouches need to be installed by the end of April to be effective but the city says the long winter this year allowed them to attach them in May.

Beetles are expected to begin leaving their host tree and to start trying to infest new trees within the next week.

"MCH is being supplied to the city as part of a program initiated by the B.C. government. Residents wishing to learn more about how they can protect trees from spruce beetle on their own properties, can find additional information on the BC Government website," a city release states.