Bark Beetles in British Columbia

Bark beetles are small, cylindrical insects that attack and kill mature trees by boring through the bark and mining the phloem – the layer between the bark and wood of a tree. The main species in B.C. are the mountain pine beetle, spruce beetle and the Douglas-fir beetle.

• Mountain pine beetles attack lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and white pine trees from mid July to mid August. Mountain pine beetles have a one-year life cycle.
• Spruce beetles attack Englemann spruce, white spruce and Sitka spruce trees from late April to early May. These insects have a two-year life cycle.
• Douglas-fir beetles attack trees from late April through May and have a one-year life cycle.

These insects inhabit forests throughout British Columbia. Like forest fires, bark beetles play an important role in the natural life cycle of a forest. By attacking older or weakened trees, bark beetles help hasten the development of younger forests.

Authorizations and Regulations

CURRENT EBBMA

• January 2006 - EBBMA Maps and Memorandums

PREVIOUS VERSIONS

• Memo describing EMUs re-designation process for Dec. 2004 (pdf, 42 k, posted Sept. 2, 2004)
• March 30, 2004 revised EBBMA map 
• Memo Clarifiying EMU vs. BMU re-designation process - Adobe Acrobat, 80 k, posted November 28, 2003)
• Re-designation of Emergency Management Units – Adobe Acrobat, 39 KB (updated August 1, 2003)

REGULATIONS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS

• Transition to Forest and Range Practices Regulation (section 109) (this section allows the Minister and Bark Beetle Coordinator to continue establishment of the EBBMA and EMU's, respectively)
• Bark beetle regulation (repealed, see above)
• Bark beetle management guidebook
• Forest health surveys guidebook
• Technical information on Bark Beetle Management