Spruce budworm outbreak threatens Idaho forests | Voices.IdahoStatesman.com
A western spruce budworm outbreak in Idaho is weakening fir and spruce trees across the state.
The Forest Service reports that more than 500,000 acres were defoliated by the native western insect in southern Idaho last year. Aerial surveys show this year may be just as bad or worse.
The McCall area and the Payette National Forest is one of the areas hardest hit. There people will see the defoliated trees turn reddish-brown on hillsides. Normally, spruce budworm does not kill trees, but may cause them to have reduced growth and dead tops.
Other outbreaks include the Boise, Sawtooth and Salmon-Challis national forests and the Coeur d'Alene National Forest up north.
The last time Idaho experienced a spruce budworm outbreak it lasted for 15 years. Smaller trees die more than larger trees because larvae drop from the large trees and collect and feed on them. [...]
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