| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Kimberly Merenz |
| July 24, 2006 | (406) 444-3730 |
(EDITORS: A photograph of a European pine shoot moth in a caught in a sticky trap can be downloaded here. )
Pest of Pine Trees Found in Trap near Kalispell
HELENA, Mont. — A destructive pest of Christmas trees and nursery plants has been found in a monitoring trap in the Kalispell area, the Montana Department of Agriculture reported.
The European pine shoot moth affects all species of pines. Spray treatments are available, although careful timing is required to control the tiny insect. Additional pheromone-scented traps will be placed in the Kalispell area to determine if an infestation exists or if only a few adult moths might have arrived on evergreen trees brought into Montana, said Patricia Denke, entomologist with the department.
The pest is widespread in the northern United States and is a major problem in landscape pines and Christmas trees. Infestations exist in British Columbia, Idaho, North Dakota and Washington. Larvae measure up to one centimeter in length and feed on needle buds, frequently destroying the growing tip and causing misshaped trees, Denke said.
The pest affects primarily pine species and should not be confused with the western spruce budworm that is damaging evergreens in Montana and other western states, she said. The European pine shoot moth is smaller and adults are distinctly orange and silver.
The Montana Department of Agriculture regularly monitors for the European pine shoot moth and requires certification that imported trees and pine shrubs do not carry the pest, according to Kimberly Merenz, pest management program manager at the department. She said landowners and businesses in the area where the two adult males were found may be contacted by the department. Additional traps are being placed in the area to help in determining what action to take.
For more information on the European pine shoot moth and on quarantine
pests, contact Kimberly Merenz at the Montana Department of Agriculture
at (406) 444-3730 or by email at agr@mt.gov.
