Spraying for Spruce Budworm is underway on the west coast and Northern Peninsula

    Tuesday, 24 June 2025 06:00

    By Tonya Organ

    This destructive forest insect is capable of causing widespread defoliation leading to tree mortality and growth losses.

    Spraying for Spruce Budworm is taking place along the west coast and Northern Peninsula until July 5th. This destructive forest insect is capable of causing widespread defoliation leading to tree mortality and growth losses. Jeff Motty is a supervisor of Forest Disease, Insect and Fire Control. He says up to 82,500 hectares of forest will be sprayed with BTK, a naturally occurring biological control agent which has been approved by Health Canada. 

    Aerial treatments will take place on forest land located south of Gros Morne National Park, extending to Grand Lake area, east of Gros Morne National Park extending to the Baie Verte area, north of Gros Morne National Park up to the Plum Point area, and the Roddickton-Bide Arm area. Motty says they’ve been spraying for Spruce Budworm since  2020. He says as of last year, 509k hectares had been treated for Spruce Budworm. Public signage and maps will be posted along access roads leading to areas where treatment is planned.

     

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