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Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Fleet and Forest Protection Division

Risk Services Section

Report FOR 2013-002

STATUS OF FOREST PESTS IN

NOVA SCOTIA

2011 Annual Report

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Forest Health Conditions in Nova Scotia

2011 Annual Report

Compiled by:

Gina Penny

With data from Forest Health Staff

Forest Protection Division Renewable Resources Branch Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources PO Box 130 23 Creighton Road Shubenacadie, NS B0N 2H0 Telephone: (902)-758-7226 Fax: (902)-758-3210 http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/forest/foresthealth/default.asp Publication Number: Report FOR 2013-002

http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/forest/foresthealth/default.asp

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Forest Health Staff

Tanya Borgal Matthew O’Connor

Matthew Campbell Jeff Ogden

Jacqui Gordon Jim Rudderham

Mike LeBlanc Andrew Young

Editing and Administrative Support

Wanda Dahr John Ross

Walter Fanning Suzette Thibodeau

Regional Services Pest Detection Officers

Eastern Region Central Region Western Region

Derek Hart Allan Bland Jamie Brown

Michael Hill Mike Kew Brian Comeau

Greg Keizer Eric Leighton Bill DesChamp

Dolores MacDonald Scott MacEwan William Grover

Greg Murphy Matthew McFetridge Kim Huskins

Tom Murray Matthew O’Connor Ross Pentz

John Ongo Adrian Samson Kevin Totten

Figure 1: Administrative regions of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

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Forest Health Staff…………………………………………………………………………………….….3

Editing and Administrative Support………………………………………………………………….….3

Regional Services Pest Detection Officers……………………………………………………….…....3

Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………….……6

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in This Report…………………………………….………6

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………7

List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………………………9

List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………….11

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………13

Status of Forest Pests…………………………………………………………………………………..14

Insect Pests of Softwoods……………………………………………………………………………...14

Eastern Spruce Budworm – Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)………………………………..14

Pheromone Trap Survey……………………………………………………………………….14

Overwintering Larval (L2) Survey……………………………………………………………..16

Jack Pine Budworm – Choristoneura pinus pinus (Free.)………………………………………16


Overwintering larval (L2) Survey………………………………………………………………18

Hemlock Looper - Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Gn.)…………………………………………19


Overwintering Egg Survey……………………………………………………………………..21

Spruce Beetle – Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)………………………………………………..22

Permanent Research Plots…………………………………………………………………….22

Whitemarked Tussock Moth – Orgyia leucostigma (J.E. Smith)……………………………….24

Overwintering egg mass Survey………………………………………………………………24

Table of Contents

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Eastern Blackheaded Budworm - Acleris variana (Fernald)…………………………………….26


Balsam Fir sawfly – Neodiprion abietis (Harr.)……………………………………………………27


Risk and Predicted Defoliation Maps………………………………………………………….29

Balsam Woolly adelgid – Adelges picea (Ratz.)………………………………………………….30

Overwintering Nymph and Damage Surveys………………………………………………...30

Permanent Monitoring Plots…………………………………………………………………...32

Balsam Twig Aphid – Mindarus abietinus (Koch)………………………………………………..34

Balsam Gall Midge – Pardiplosis tumifex (Gagné)………………………………………………36

Insect Pests of Hardwoods……………………………………………………………………………..38

Gypsy Moth – Lymantria dispar (L.)……………………………………………………………….38


Invasive Pests……………………………………………………………………………………………42

Brown Spruce Longhorned Beetle – Tetropium fuscum (Fabr.)………………………………..42


Arthropods of Importance to Human Health…………………………………………………………..45

West Nile Virus………………………………………………………………………………………45

Tick Surveys…………………………………………………………………………………………45

Pest Identification Service………………………………………………………………………………46

Communications………………………………………………………………………………………...46

Newsletter: Insectary Notes………………………………………………………………………. 46

Website………………………………………………………………………………………………47

Extension and Outreach……………………………………………………………………………47

APPENDIX I – GLOSSARY…………………………………………………………………………….48

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To assemble, analyze, and present the information contained within this report requires a great deal of effort from many individuals. Without their efforts to gather information and data, this report would not be possible.

Thanks to the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR) regional staff, especially the Pest Detection Officers (PDO’s), who are the backbone of many provincial surveys. These surveys would be impossible without the support of the PDO’s and their Area Supervisors.

Appreciation is extended to the staff of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) for their cooperation. Their research in Nova Scotia as well as the information and expertise they share relating to forest pests and forest conditions continues to be a valuable resource.

Thanks are also given to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for their assistance and information exchange during the invasive insect surveys.

CFIA Canadian Food Inspection Agency

CFS Canadian Forest Service

ha Hectares

NSDNR Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources

PDO Pest Detection Officer

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in This Report

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This annual report contains information on forest insects and diseases monitored by Forest Health staff and PDO’s for the period up to and including 2011. It also contains information concerning our combined efforts to assist in research conducted by the CFS and monitor invasive pests with the CFIA.

Eastern Spruce Budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana): The percentage of positive pheromone traps was 35%, down from 57% in 2010. The maximum trap catch was 16 moths, down from 33 in 2010. No overwintering second instar larvae (L2’s) were detected.

Jack Pine Budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus): The percentage of positive pheromone traps was 48%, up from 36% in 2010. No overwintering L2’s were detected.

Hemlock Looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria): The percentage of positive pheromone traps was 94.9%, up slightly from 93.9% in 2010. The maximum trap catch was 682 moths, up from 286 in 2010 Overwintering eggs were detected at 28.3% of sites sampled, up from 10% in 2010 and 0% in 2009.

Spruce Beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis): Widespread spruce beetle induced mortality of mature and over-mature white spruce is occurring throughout the province. In the fixed radius plots, the percentage of white and red spruce infested with or killed by the spruce beetle was 2.6% and 5.4%, respectively, down from 33.8% and 9.0% in 2010 for white and red spruce, respectively.

Whitemarked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma): Overwintering egg masses were detected in 10.8% of sites surveyed, up from 7.7% in 2010.

Eastern Blackheaded Budworm (Acleris variana): Overwintering eggs were detected at 83.9% of the sites surveyed, up from 74.1% in 2010.

Balsam Fir Sawfly (Neodiprion abietis): Overwintering eggs were detected at 59% of sites surveyed, up from 51% in 2010 and the highest recorded since 1998.

Balsam Woolly Adelgid (Adelges picea): The percentage of sites with overwintering nymphs was 5.7%, down from 8.7% in 2010. The percentage of sites with gouted branches was 1.6%, unchanged from 2010. Overwintering surveys in 11 of the 14 permanent plots detected populations had increased in 1 plot, decreased in 3, and no change was detected in the remaining 7 plots.

Balsam Twig Aphid (Mindarus abietinus) and Balsam Gall Midge (Paradiplosis tumifex): No sites surveyed had balsam twig aphid damage and only one site had balsam gall midge damage.

Executive Summary

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Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar): The percentage of positive multipher traps was 68%, up from 58% in 2010. The total number of moths captured was 3188, up from 3093 in 2010. Overall, the percentage of positive delta traps was 19.2% consistent with 20% in 2010.

Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle (Tetropium fuscum): Extensive pheromone trapping was conducted in the Atlantic Provinces. There were 20 positive sites outside the beetle regulated area. In Nova Scotia, five new sites were detected in the counties of Halifax, Hants, and Luneburg. There was one positive location in New Brunswick located near a campground in Kouchibouguac National Park. This is the first time BSLB has been detected outside of Nova Scotia. All other traps deployed in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, were negative. The total number of positive sites outside of the BSLB regulated area is now 65.

West Nile Virus: There were no human cases of West Nile virus reported in Nova Scotia. As of 2010, dead birds in Nova Scotia are no longer tested for West Nile virus. No birds have tested positive since 2003.

Tick Surveys: In 2011, 1500 ticks were submitted to Forest Health for identification, of which 850 were black legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Currently, there are five established populations of Blacklegged ticks in Nova Scotia:

• Pictou County - areas around Melmerby Beach, Egerton, Kings Head, and Pine Tree;

• Lunenburg County - (Blue Rocks, Garden Lots, Heckmans Island, First Peninsula as well as the areas immediately surrounding them;

• Halifax County - Admirals Cove in Bedford;

• Shelburne Count - Gunning Cove and;

• Yarmouth County: Gavelton area.

Pest Identification Service: Since 1995, Forest Health has coordinated the identification of pests affecting Nova Scotia’s forests. In 2011, 101 inquiries were answered. Of these inquiries, 25 (24.8%) dealt directly with our forest resource i.e. plantations and woodlots; the remaining 76 (75.3%) were general homeowner inquiries.

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Table 1: Summary of eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1990 to 2011.

Table 2: Summary of jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2011.

Table 3: Summary of jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) overwintering larva (L2) surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2011.

Table 4: Summary of hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1993 to 2011.

Table 5: Summary of hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1992 to 2011.

Table 6: Summary of spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) permanent plot surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2004 to 2011.

Table 7: Summary of whitemarked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1999 to 2011.

Table 8: Summary of eastern blackheaded budworm (Acleris variana) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2004 to 2011.

Table 9: Summary of balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1998 to 2011.

Table 10: Summary of balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) overwintering nymph surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2000 to 2011.

Table 11: Summary of balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) damage surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2000 to 2011.

Table 12: Summary of balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) permanent monitoring plot surveys conducted by Forest Health from 2010 to 2011.

Table 13: Summary of balsam twig aphid (Mindarus abietinus) surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2003 to 2011.

Table 14: Summary of balsam gall midge (Paradiplosis tumifex) damage surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2003 to 2011.

List of Tables

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Table 15: Summary of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) permanent, multipher pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia 1998 to 2011.

Table 16: Summary of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) delta pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia 2002 to 2011.

Table 17: Number of tick identification inquiries from 2002 to 2011.

Table 18: Summary of pest identification inquiries to Forest Health from 2001 to 2011.

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Map Disclaimer: The information on these maps may have come from a variety of government and non-government sources. The Department of Natural Resources accepts no liability for any errors, deficiencies or faults on these maps. These maps should not be used for legal purposes.

Figure 1: Administrative regions of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

Figure 2: Results of the 2011 eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) pheromone trap survey.

Figure 3: Results of the 2011 eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) overwintering larva (L2) survey.

Figure 4: Results of the 2011 Jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) pheromone traps survey.

Figure 5: Results of the 2011Jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) overwintering larva (L2) survey.

Figure 6: Results of the 2011 hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) pheromone trap survey.

Figure 7: Results of the 2011 hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) overwintering egg survey.

Figure 8: Location of permanent spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) research plots in Nova Scotia.

Figure 9: Results of the 2011 whitemarked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma) overwintering egg mass survey.

Figure 10: Results of the 2011 eastern blackheaded budworm (Acleris variana) overwintering egg survey.

Figure 11: Results of the 2011 balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) overwintering egg survey.

Figure 12: Results of the 2011 balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) overwintering egg survey - Eastern Region.

Figure 13: Forest stands at risk for balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) 2012 season.

List of Figures

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Figure 14: Gross area within which defoliation by balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) is forecast to occur in Eastern Nova Scotia in 2012 based on interpolated values from the 2011 fall egg survey.

Figure 15: Results of the 2011balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) overwintering nymph survey.

Figure 16: Results of the 2011 balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) damage survey.

Figure 17: Results of 2011 population monitoring at balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) permanent monitoring plots.

Figure 18: Minimum temperatures (oC) recorded at balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) permanent monitoring plots from November 2010 to April 2011.

Figure 19: Results of the 2011 balsam twig aphid (Mindarus abietinus) damage survey.

Figure 20: Results of the 2011 balsam gall midge (Paradiplosis tumifex) damage survey.

Figure 21: Results of the 2011 gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) permanent trap survey.

Figure 22: Results of the 2011 gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) delta trap town survey.

Figure 23: Brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) regulated area 2011.

Figure 24: Brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) trap locations for eastern Canada in 2011.

Figure 25: Positive sites (20) detected outside of the brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) regulated area in 2011.

Figure 26: New (circled) brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) positive sites detected outside of the regulated area in 2011.

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Forest Health is a section within the Forest Protection Division of the NSDNR. Forest Health has the mandate of protecting Nova Scotia’s forests from insects and diseases. The section’s main responsibilities are to:

• Monitor forest pests and develop better detection methods. • Analyze forest health conditions using field and survey data. • Provide accurate information and education to forest stakeholders in a timely

manner. • Develop and maintain management options and systems.

Through a systematic monitoring program, including ground and aerial surveys, Forest Health staff and PDO’s, record forest health status and disturbances province-wide. For regulated, non-native pests, Forest Health co-operates with the CFIA who. Under the federal Plant Protection Act the CFIA is responsible for preventing the introduction into Canada, spread within and from Canada, of non-native pests. Forest Health provides technical assistance to the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Public Health Agency of Canada to monitor the populations of arthropods of importance to human health. The Forest Health Section also collaborates with the CFS when their researchers are working in the province or on forest pest management projects of concern to Nova Scotia.

This report is intended to provide an overview of the status of forest pest conditions in Nova Scotia in 2012 and highlights many of the pest management activities conducted by the Forest Health Section of NSDNR. It is not intended to itemize all details for each survey conducted, where required the reader can contact the Forest Health Section for further information. Although every effort is made to ensure that information reported in this document is accurate, its integrity is not guaranteed.

Introduction

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Eastern Spruce Budworm - Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)

The native spruce budworm is widely distributed throughout Canada. It has caused more damage to Nova Scotian softwood forests than any other insect. Mature balsam fir is the preferred host but white, red, and black spruce may also be attacked. The last spruce budworm outbreak in Nova Scotia began in the early 1970’s. At its peak, moderate to severe defoliation covering 1,220,000 hectares could be found on Cape Breton Island and in pockets in northern mainland counties. Spruce budworm outbreaks are cyclical, and every 30-40 years populations increase to outbreak levels where they can remain for 10 years or more.

Eastern spruce budworm populations are monitored using a combination of pheromone traps to capture adult male moths and branch samples to collect overwintering second instar larvae (L2).

Pheromone Trap Survey

In 2011, 150 pheromone traps were monitored province wide. The percentage of positive traps was 35%, down from 57% in 2010 (Figure 2). The maximum trap catch was 16 moths, down from 33 in 2010 (Table 1).

Status of Forest Pests

Insect Pests of Softwoods

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Figure 2: Results of the 2011 eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) pheromone trap survey.

Table 1: Summary of eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1990 to 2011.

Year Number Of Traps

Number (%) Positive Traps

Number of Moths/Trap Trap Catch Range Zero

Low 1-50

Moderate 51-100

High >100

1990 13 13 (100) 0 12 1 0 11 – 76

1991 17 15 (88.2) 2 13 2 0 0 – 59

1992 25 24 (96.0) 1 19 3 2 0 – 132

1993 18 17 (94.4) 1 11 2 4 0 – 300

1994 21 15 (71.4) 6 15 0 0 0 – 31

1995 60 0 (0) 60 0 0 0 0

1996 128 0 (0) 128 0 0 0 0

1997 119 10 (8.4) 109 10 0 0 0 – 23

1998 128 6 (4.7) 122 6 0 0 0 – 10

1999 135 1 (0.7) 134 1 0 0 0 – 1

2000 64 2 (3.1) 62 2 0 0 0 – 3

2002 145 5 (3.4) 140 5 0 0 0 – 23

2003 144 18 (12.5) 126 18 0 0 0 – 8

2004 150 11 (7.3) 139 11 0 0 0 – 38

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Year Number Of Traps


Number of Moths/Trap Trap Catch Range Zero

Low 1-50

Moderate 51-100

High >100

2005 150 33 (22.0) 117 33 0 0 0 – 21

2006 150 26 (17.3) 124 26 0 0 0 – 5

2007 150 59 (39.3) 91 59 0 0 0 – 11

2008 150 14 (9.3) 136 14 0 0 0 – 8

2009 141 40 (28.4) 101 40 0 0 0 – 12

2010 148 85 (57.4) 63 85 0 0 0 – 33

2011 150 53 (35.3) 97 53 0 0 0 – 16

Overwintering Larval (L2) Survey

No L2’s were found in the 52 sites surveyed (Figure 3). No L2’s have been detected in Nova Scotia since 1994.

Figure 3: Results of the 2011 eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) overwintering larva (L2) survey.

Jack Pine Budworm - Choristoneura pinus pinus (Free.)

Jack pine budworm is a native needle feeding caterpillar closely related to the spruce budworm. It is found throughout the range of its principal host, jack pine. Other conifers such as white, red and Scots pines can be attacked, particularly when growing in association with jack pine.

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In Nova Scotia, Jack pine budworm defoliation has occurred in mature white pines while red pines located in outbreak areas, remained relatively untouched. Defoliation of mature white pine by Jack pine budworm was first detected in the Western Region in 2005. Forest Health monitors Jack pine budworm populations using pheromone traps and L2 surveys.


In 2011, 25 pheromone traps were monitored in the Central and Western regions (Figure 4). The percentage of positive traps was 48.0%, up from 36.4% in 2010 (Table 2). The percentage of positive traps catches remained above 75% until 2010, when it fell to 36%. The maximum trap catch was 11 moths, up from 5 in 2010.

Figure 4: Results of the 2011 Jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) pheromone traps survey.

Table 2: Summary of jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2011.

Year

Number of Traps Number (%) Positive Traps

Number of Moths/Trap (range) Maximum Trap

Catch Placed Returne

d 0 1-10 11-20 21-40 >40

2006 49 45 40 (88.9) 5 29 7 3 1 48

2007 70 55 42 (76.4) 13 26 16 0 0 19

2008 102 84 67 (79.8) 17 61 3 3 0 33

2009 58 58 46 (79.3) 12 45 1 0 0 14

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Year


Number of Moths/Trap (range) Maximum Trap

Catch Placed Returne

d 0 1-10 11-20 21-40 >40

2010 50 44 16 (36.4) 28 16 0 0 0 5

2011 30 25 12 (48.0) 13 11 1 0 0 11

Overwintering Larval (L2) Survey

Currently, most of the published jack pine budworm biological and survey information pertains to jack pine with little similar information available for white pine. Therefore, Forest Health is developing a predictive survey methodology to determine the potential impact of jack pine budworm on Nova Scotia’s forests. At each site a single mid-crown branch is sampled from each of three representative mature white pines. In 2011, no L2’s were detected at the five sites surveyed, unchanged from 2010.

Figure 5: Results of the 2011 Jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) overwintering larva (L2) survey.

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Table 3: Summary of Jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus) overwintering larva (L2) surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2011.

Year Number of Sites

Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of L2/m2 of Bark Maximum L2/m2 of

Bark 0 1-50 51-200 201-500 >500

2006 38 17 (44.7) 21 16 1 0 0 166

2007 72 29 (40.3) 43 21 3 5 0 409

2008 97 31 (32.0) 66 25 3 1 2 3254

2009 85 19 (22.4) 66 19 0 0 0 44.2

2010 15 0 (0) 15 0 0 0 0 0

2011 5 0 (0) 5 0 0 0 0 0

Hemlock Looper - Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Gn.)

Hemlock looper is a native insect whose larvae feed on the needles of various tree species including hemlock, spruces, pines, and hardwoods. In Nova Scotia, its preferred host is mature to over-mature balsam fir. The hemlock looper has defoliated approximately 135,000 hectares since 1961. Control programs were conducted in portions of Victoria and Inverness counties in 1996 and 1997. Hemlock looper populations are monitored using pheromone traps and overwintering egg surveys.


In 2011, 136 traps were monitored province wide. The percentage of positive traps was 94.9%, up slightly from 93.9% in 2010. The maximum trap catch was 682 moths, up from 286 in 2010 (Figure 6, Table 4).

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Figure 6: Results of the 2011 hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) pheromone trap survey.

Table 4: Summary of hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1993 to 2011.

Year Number

of Traps


Number of Moths/Trap Trap Catch

Range Zero Low

1 – 199 Moderate 200 - 499

High >499

1993 18 18 (100) 0 15 3 0 12 – 477

1994 31 31 (100) 0 15 7 9 1 – 2200

1995 87 87 (100) 0 42 11 34 8 – 4253

1996 151 148 (98.0) 3 108 21 19 0 – 3893

1997 147 145 (98.6) 2 115 25 5 0 – 995

1998 137 132 (96.4) 5 132 0 0 0 – 165

1999 144 94 (65.3) 50 94 0 0 0 – 95

2001 96 76 (79.2) 20 76 0 0 0 – 108

2002 139 116 (83.5) 23 116 0 0 0 – 107

2003 136 124 (91.2) 12 116 5 3 0 – 865

2005 85 80 (94.1) 5 74 5 1 0 – 503

2006 137 116 (84.7) 21 116 0 0 0 – 100

2007 143 138 (96.5) 5 138 0 0 0 – 117

2008 150 141 (94.0) 9 139 2 0 0- 395

2009 146 123 (84.2) 23 123 0 0 0 – 168

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Year Number

of Traps


Number of Moths/Trap Trap Catch

Range Zero Low

1 – 199 Moderate 200 - 499

High >499

2010 148 139 (93.9) 9 138 1 0 0 – 286

2011 136 129 (94.9) 7 115 13 1 0 – 682

* No traps were deployed in 2000 and 2004.

Overwintering Egg Survey

Overwintering egg surveys were conducted around pheromone traps with the highest moth catches. Branch samples were taken from 3 trees per site at 46 sites in the Eastern Region. Eggs were detected at 28.3% of sites sampled, up from 10.0% in 2010 and 0% in 2009 (Figure 7, Table 5).

Figure 7: Results of the 2011 hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) overwintering egg survey.

Table 5: Summary of hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1992 to 2011.


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Fertile Eggs/Branch

Zero Low 1 - 9

Moderate 10 - 19

High >19

1992 43 13 (30.2) 30 13 0 0

1993 21 9 (42.9) 12 9 0 0

1994 266 195 (73.3) 71 180 15 0

1995 218 192 (88.1) 26 137 20 35

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Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Fertile Eggs/Branch

Zero Low 1 - 9

Moderate 10 - 19

High >19

1996 378 283 (74.9) 95 259 16 8

1997 315 172 (54.6) 143 170 1 1

1998 279 38 (13.6) 241 38 0 0

1999 25 7 (28.0) 18 7 0 0

2001 91 18 (19.8) 73 18 0 0

2002 142 29 (20.4) 113 29 0 0

2003 72 34 (47.2) 38 34 0 0

2004 163 83 (50.9) 80 74 6 3

2005 137 95 (69.3) 42 94 1 0

2006 148 25 (16.9) 123 24 1 0

2007 36 2 (5.6) 34 2 0 0

2008 41 4 (9.8) 37 4 0 0

2009 41 0 (0) 41 0 0 0

2010 40 4 (10.0) 36 4 0 0

2011 46 13 (28.3) 33 13 0 0

Spruce Beetle – Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)

The native spruce beetle is the most significant mortality agent of mature spruce in Nova Scotia. Its preferred host is mature to over-mature white spruce, but all spruce species can be attacked. Low density populations are always present in spruce forests, surviving in severely stressed or recently killed trees and slash.

In Nova Scotia, chronic and widespread spruce beetle activity has caused mortality of mature and over-mature white spruce throughout the province. The buildup of populations is due to two main factors: abundant susceptible host material and recent mild winters facilitating beetle survival.

Forest Health established permanent research plots in the Central region to study spruce beetle populations and tree mortality.

Permanent Research Plots

In 2004, 18 fixed radius plots (15m) were established in red and white spruce stands in central Nova Scotia (Figure 8) to examine the impact of spruce blow-down due to hurricane Juan on the development of the spruce beetle populations and subsequent damage levels. The NSDNR conducted this project in cooperation with the CFS and was partially funded by the Nova Forest Alliance.

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After four years of assessment, it was determined that spruce mortality appeared to be unrelated to spruce beetle activity, but caused by other factors. However, these plots currently provide useful data regarding spruce beetle activity, attack levels and mortality throughout the Central Region.

In 2011, 5.5% of red spruce and 2.6% of white spruce were either infested with or had been killed by spruce beetle (Table 6). These percentages are down from 2010 when they were 9.0% and 33.8% for red and white spruce respectively. The percentages have dropped significantly, likely due to previously killed trees now recorded as missing due to factors such as blow down.

Figure 8: Location of permanent spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) research plots in Nova Scotia.

Table 6: Summary of spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) permanent plot surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2004 to 2011.

Year

Number of Trees

Assessed

Number (%) Healthy Trees

Number (%) Spruce Beetle Infested Trees

Number (%) Spruce Beetle Killed Trees

Number (%) Dead Trees

Other Causes

Number (%) Trees Missing

Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw

2004 424 343 417

(98.3) 338

(98.5) 0

(0) 3

(0.9) 0

(0) 0

(0) 5

(1.2) 2

(0.6) 2

(0.5) 0

(0)

2005 424 343 386

(91.0) 297

(86.6) 0

(0) 27

(7.9) 0

(0) 6

(1.8) 14

(3.3) 7

(2.0) 24

(5.7) 6

(1.7)

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Year

Number of Trees

Assessed

Number (%) Healthy Trees

Number (%) Spruce Beetle Infested Trees

Number (%) Spruce Beetle Killed Trees

Number (%) Dead Trees

Other Causes

Number (%) Trees Missing

Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw Sr Sw

2006 425 342 367

(86.4) 254

(74.3) 5

(1.2) 47

(13.7) 1

(0.2) 20

(5.9) 27

(6.4) 19

(5.6) 25

(5.9) 2

(0.6)

2007 424 343 341

(80.4) 220

(64.1) 7

(1.7) 44

(12.8) 7

(1.7) 50

(14.6) 33

(7.8) 25

(7.3) 36

(8.5) 4

(1.2)

2008 424 343 325

(76.7) 190

(55.4) 6

(1.4) 41

(12.0) 9

(2.1) 71

(20.7) 37

(8.7) 24

(7.0) 47

(11.1) 17

(5.0)

2009 424 343 320

(75.5) 180

(52.5) 2

(0.5) 23

(6.7) 10

(2.3) 82

(23.9) 41

(9.7) 26

(7.6) 51

(12.0) 32

(9.3)

2010 424 343 281

(66.3) 106

(30.9) 22

(5.2) 31

(9.0) 16

(3.8) 85

(24.8) 54

(12.7) 19

(5.5) 51

(12.0) 102

(29.7)

2011 424 343 266

(62.7) 50

(14.6) 16

(3.8) 8

(2.3) 7

(1.7) 1

(0.3) 39

(9.2) 7

(2.0) 96

(22.6) 277

(80.8)

Sr = red spruce Sw = white spruce

In 2006, one tree was misidentified

Whitemarked Tussock Moth - Orgyia leucostigma (J.E. Smith)

The whitemarked tussock moth occurs naturally throughout North America. The larvae feed on foliage of a wide variety of trees, both conifers and hardwoods. The last tussock moth outbreak occurred in 1998 and covered 1.4 million hectares in Central and Northern Nova Scotia, of which 60,000 hectares were treated at a cost of approximately six million dollars, making it the largest treatment program to date. Since then, two mini population eruptions have occurred: Cape Breton in 2005 and Guysborough in 2007. Whitemarked tussock moth populations are monitored using an overwintering egg mass survey.

Overwintering Egg Mass Survey

In 2011, 343 sites were surveyed province wide (Figure 9, Table 7). The percentage of positive sites was 10.8%, up from 7.7% in 2010.

25

Figure 9: Results of the 2011 whitemarked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma) overwintering egg mass survey.

Table 7: Summary of whitemarked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1999 to 2011.


Number (%) Sites with

Egg Masses

Average Number of Egg Masses/3 Branches

Zero Low

0.01-0.7 Moderate 0.71-1.99

High >1.99

1999 907 89 (9.8) 818 78 8 3

2000 631 90 (14.3) 541 77 6 7

2002 633 24 (3.8) 609 20 2 2

2003 659 8 (1.2) 651 5 0 3

2004 794 60 (7.6) 734 51 6 3

2005 662 91 (13.7) 571 89 2 0

2006 683 150 (22.0) 533 132 16 2

2007 286 44 (15.4) 242 44 0 0

2008 290 40 (13.8) 250 40 0 0

2009 343 26 (7.6) 317 26 0 0

2010 325 25 (7.7) 300 25 0 0

2011 343 37 (10.8) 306 37 0 0

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Eastern Blackheaded Budworm - Acleris variana (Fernald)

This small, native moth resembling the spruce budworm is found across Canada and feeds on 20 different conifer tree species. In Nova Scotia, its main hosts are balsam fir, white and black spruce. The last Eastern blackheaded budworm outbreak in 2004 covered approximately 114,000 hectares in the Cape Breton Highlands. The following year a spray trial was conducted by the CFS and the population collapsed in 2006. Eastern blackheaded budworm populations are monitored using an overwintering egg survey.


A single branch was sampled from three balsam fir trees at each of 62 sites in the Eastern Region (Figure 10, Table 8). The percentage of positive sites was 83.9%, up from 74.1% in 2010 (Table 8).

Figure 10: Results of the 2011 eastern blackheaded budworm (Acleris variana) overwintering egg survey.

Table 8: Summary of eastern blackheaded budworm (Acleris variana) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2004 to 2011.


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Eggs/45cm Branch

Zero Low 1 - 26

Moderate 27 - 59

High >59

2004 125 125 (100) 0 83 20 22

2005 202 158 (78.2) 44 156 2 0

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Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Eggs/45cm Branch

Zero Low 1 - 26

Moderate 27 - 59

High >59

2006 184 60 (32.6) 124 60 0 0

2007 64 10 (15.6) 54 10 0 0

2008 63 8 (12.7) 55 8 0 0

2009 55 3 (5.5) 52 3 0 0

2010 58 43 (74.1) 15 43 0 0

2011 62 52 (83.9) 10 52 0 0

Balsam Fir Sawfly - Neodiprion abietis (Harr.)

The balsam fir sawfly is a native insect found throughout Nova Scotia. It was first recorded in North America in 1910, and outbreaks in Nova Scotia have been recorded since 1942. Outbreaks usually last three to four years with a varying number of years in between. Its principal host is balsam fir but it can also be found on white, black, and red spruce. Damage is caused by the larvae feeding on mature needles. Balsam fir sawfly populations are monitored using overwintering egg surveys.


Branch samples were collected from 123 sites in the Eastern and Central Regions. The percentage of positive sites was 59%, up from 51% in 2010 and the highest percentage detected since 1998 (Figures 11 and 12, Table 9).

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Figure 11: Results of the 2011 balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) overwintering egg survey.

Figure 12: Results of the 2011 balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) overwintering egg survey - Eastern Region.

Table 9: Summary of balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) overwintering egg surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 1998 to 2011.


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Egg Niches/Branch

Zero Low

1 – 12 Moderate

13 - 24 High >24

1998 308 288 (93.5) 20 125 47 116

1999 902 476 (52.8) 426 373 46 57

2000 624 242 (38.8) 382 195 31 16

2001 699 279 (39.9) 420 269 6 4

2002 633 269 (42.5) 364 249 12 8

2003 659 209 (31.7) 450 195 12 2

2004 669 127 (19.0) 542 122 4 1

2005 411 130 (31.6) 281 128 1 1

2006 430 8 (1.9) 422 7 1 0

2007 35 6 (17.1) 29 6 0 0

2008 42 8 (19.0) 34 7 0 1

2009 46 3 (6.5) 43 0 1 2

2010 127 65 (51.2) 62 33 5 27

2011 123 72 (58.5) 51 32 10 30

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Risk and Predicted Defoliation Maps

High numbers of overwintering balsam fir sawfly eggs were detected. To quantify the potential impact of this pest on local forest resources and identify monitoring priorities, the Risk Services Unit conducted a pest risk analysis to identify susceptible forested stands and rank them according to their proximity to known survey points (Figure 13). This survey data was also analyzed to forecast potential balsam fir sawfly defoliation for the 2012 season (Figure 14).

Figure 13: Forest stands at risk for balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) 2012 season.

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Figure 14: Forecast for balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion abietis) defoliation in Eastern Nova Scotia in 2012 based on 2011 egg survey results.

Balsam Woolly Adelgid - Adelges picea (Ratz.)

The balsam woolly adelgid is native to Central Europe. It was first reported in Canada in 1910 in southern Nova Scotia, but is now distributed throughout the province. It feeds exclusively on true firs (genus: Abies) and is considered a serious pest of forest, Christmas, landscape, and seed trees.

As they feed, the adelgids inject saliva into the tree causing swellings, called gout, on branches and twigs. Their feeding also causes stunted terminal growth, top kill, and the formation of compression wood. This compression wood cannot carry water or nutrients and the tree will eventually lose its needles and die.

Overwintering Nymph and Damage Surveys

Balsam woolly adelgid populations are monitored in a general way. All branches collected for the balsam fir sawfly survey are inspected for dormant overwintering nymphs in buds and balsam woolly adelgid damage, i.e. gouting. This survey is not a predictive survey, but simply quantifies the damage that occurred the previous season. In 2011, 123 sites were surveyed. The percentage of positive sites with overwintering

31

nymphs was 5.7%, down from 8.7% in 2010 (Figure 15, Table 10). The percentage of sites with gouted branches was 1.6%, unchanged from 2010 (Table 11, Figure 16).

Figure 15: Results of the 2011 balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) overwintering nymph survey

Table 10: Summary of balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) overwintering nymph surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2000 to 2011.


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Sites with Overwintering Nymphs (3 buds/branch/site)

Zero Low 1 - 3

Moderate 4 - 7

High >7

2000 624 353 (56.6) 271 332 18 3

2001 699 356 (50.9) 343 342 13 1

2002 633 321 (50.7) 312 285 27 9

2003 659 255 (38.7) 404 244 8 3

2008 42 3 (7.1) 39 3 0 0

2010 127 11 (8.7) 116 10 1 0

2011 123 7 (5.7) 116 7 0 0

* No surveys were conducted from 2004 - 2007 and 2009

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Figure 16: Results of the 2011 balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) damage survey.

Table 11: Summary of balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) damage surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2000 to 2011.


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Sites with Gouted Branches

Zero Light 1-33%

Moderate 34-66%

High >67%

2000 624 346 (55.4) 278 261 57 28

2001 699 264 (37.8) 435 184 61 19

2002 632 248 (39.2) 384 160 71 17

2003 659 236 (35.8) 423 170 47 19

2004 669 171 (25.6) 498 134 32 5

2005 411 102 (24.8) 309 87 15 0

2006 427 71 (16.6) 356 54 15 2

2008 42 5 (11.9) 37 4 1 0

2009 46 10 (21.7) 36 10 0 0

2010 127 2 (1.6) 125 2 0 0

2011 123 2 (1.6) 121 2 0 0

Permanent Monitoring Plots

In 2009, Forest Health established 14 permanent plots within the nine different Provincial ecoregions for the routine monitoring of balsam woolly adelgid populations. When possible, these plots were paired with existing Forest Inventory research

33

permanent sample plots to compare the impact of the adelgid on the growth, volume, and yield of balsam fir. Each spring, adult populations are measured and overall tree condition is rated. Tree height and diameter are measured every year. Annual hourly temperature fluctuations are recorded by a data logger in each plot.

In 2011, overwintering was monitored at 11 of the 14 plots. Populations had increased at one plot, decreased at three and no change was detected at the remaining seven plots (Table 12, Figure 17). One of the most important natural factors limiting adelgid populations is temperature. Mortality of overwintering nymphs increases as temperatures dip below -20oC and can reach 100% at -37oC. Late spring frosts will also kill exposed feeding nymphs. The recorded decreases were not unexpected due to the cold winter temperatures measured at the plots during 2010-2011 (Figure 18).

Figure 17: Results of 2011 population monitoring at balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) permanent monitoring plots.

Table 12: Summary balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) permanent monitoring plot surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2010 - 2011.

Plot Number

Plot Location County Total Living Adults

2010 2011

1 Liscomb Guysborough NA NA

2 Canoe Lake Yarmouth 1 0

3 Economy Colchester 0 0

4 Fielding Road Inverness 0 0

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Plot Number

Plot Location County Total Living Adults

2010 2011

5 Keppoch, Mayfield Road Antigonish NA 0

6 McRae Road Victoria 0 0

7 Mount Merrit Road Queens 15 0

8 Park Spur Road Inverness 0 NA

9 Pleasant Valley Road Halifax 0 0

10 Riversdale Colchester 0 0

11 Sand River Cumberland 0 0

12 Spry Bay Halifax 0 0

13 St. Josephs Richmond 2 0

14 Truro Watershed Colchester 0 5

Figure 18: Minimum temperatures (oC) recorded at balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges picea) permanent monitoring plots from November 2010 to April 2011.

Balsam Twig Aphid – Mindarus abietinus (Koch)

The balsam twig aphid is a small, pale green aphid widely distributed throughout Europe and North America. It feeds primarily on balsam fir but may also attack Fraser fir, white fir and spruces. It is a major pest of firs grown for Christmas trees but is considered a

Variable overwintering nymph

mortality between -20 to -30oC

35

secondary forest pest as it does not cause tree mortality. Outbreaks are generally short in duration because populations tend to quickly build and fall.

Aphid feeding results in curled and distorted needles which reduces the marketability and value of Christmas trees. Feeding can also cause roughened bark on the twigs. Extensive feeding can cause a general decline and reduce tree vigour, yet in many cases it is simply cosmetic. The aphids also produce honeydew, a sticky material that gives the needles a shiny appearance, but is usually washed off by rain. However, it also provides a growth medium for sooty mold, which turns the needles and twigs black.

Balsam twig aphid populations are monitored in a general way by assessing their presence on balsam fir branch samples collected for the balsam fir sawfly survey. This survey is not a predictive survey, but simply quantifies the damage that occurred the previous summer. Each branch is visually inspected for balsam twig aphid damage. In 2011, 123 sites were surveyed and no balsam twig aphid affected shoots were detected (Figure 19, Table 13).

Figure 19: Results of the 2011 balsam twig aphid (Mindarus abietinus) damage survey.

Table 13: Summary of balsam twig aphid (Mindarus abietinus) damage surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2003 to 2011.


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Sites with Balsam Twig Aphid Affected Shoots

Zero Low

1-33% Moderate 34-66%

High >67%

2003 659 105 (15.9) 554 98 7 0

36


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Sites with Balsam Twig Aphid Affected Shoots

Zero Low

1-33% Moderate 34-66%

High >67%

2004 669 32 (4.8) 637 29 3 0

2005 411 45 (10.9) 366 42 3 0

2006 427 69 (16.2) 358 62 7 0

2008 42 1 (2.4) 41 1 0 0

2009 46 2 (4.3) 44 2 0 0

2010 127 4 (3.1) 123 4 0 0

2011 123 0 (0) 123 0 0 0

Balsam Gall Midge – Paradiplosis tumifex (Gagné)

Balsam gall midge is native to North America. It is not considered a significant forest pest but is one of the most serious pests of balsam fir in Christmas tree stands. These tiny, 4 mm long, orange flies occur throughout the range of balsam and Fraser fir. They were first recorded in eastern Canada in 1938 and have since been reported regularly. Infestations are generally of short duration, lasting approximately three years.

Larvae initiate the formation of galls on current-year needles, which appear as swellings at the base of the needles. Each gall contains a larva feeding on the needle’s internal tissue. Galled needles turn yellow and dry, dropping off prematurely in the fall. Repeated severe infestations can cause tree growth loss but does not result in mortality. If infested Christmas trees are not to be harvested for another three to four years, they may outgrow the damage.

Balsam gall midge populations are monitored in a general way by assessing their presence on balsam fir branch samples collected for the balsam fir sawfly survey. This survey is not predictive, but simply quantifies the damage that occurred the previous summer. There was minimal damage in the 123 sites surveyed in the Eastern and Central Regions of the province (Figure 20, Table 14).

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Figure 20: Results of the 2011 balsam gall midge (Paradiplosis tumifex) damage survey.

Table 14: Summary of balsam gall midge (Paradiplosis tumifex) damage surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia from 2003 to 2011.


Number (%) Positive

Sites

Number of Sites with Balsam Gall Midge Affected Shoots

Zero Low

1-33% Moderate 34-66%

High >67%

2003 659 9 (1.4) 650 9 0 0

2004 669 1 (0.1) 668 1 0 0

2005 411 14 (3.4) 397 14 0 0

2006 427 32 (7.5) 395 31 1 0

2008 42 2 (4.8) 40 2 0 0

2009 46 12 (26.1) 34 10 2 0

2010 127 16 (12.6) 111 16 0 0

2011 123 1 (0.8) 122 1 0 0

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Gypsy Moth - Lymantria dispar (L.)

Gypsy moth was introduced to the United States from Europe in 1869 and has become one of the most serious defoliators of hardwoods in North America. The larvae feed on the foliage of hundreds of plant species, including conifers. Defoliation may result in tree mortality, growth reduction, and increased vulnerability to other pests.

The first gypsy moth egg mass in Nova Scotia was detected in Yarmouth in 1981 and populations have since become established in the Central and Western Regions of the province. It is a pest of quarantine significance and is therefore regulated under the federal Plant Protection Act by the CFIA. Gypsy moth populations are monitored throughout the province in collaboration with the CFIA using pheromone traps.


This survey is conducted in two parts: PDO’s deploy individual multipher traps at designated sites province-wide to monitor population trends (Figure 21), and place delta traps in various towns outside the CFIA regulated zone to determine if the population is spreading into new areas (Figure 22).

In 2011, 19 multipher traps were deployed province wide. The percentage of positive traps was 68%, up from 58% in 2010. A total of 3188 moths were captured, up from 3093 in 2010 (Table 15). Trap catches remained stable with changes detected in two counties within the CFIA regulated zone: an increase in Digby County and a decrease in Annapolis County. Delta traps were deployed in 11 towns outside the CFIA regulated area (Table 16). Overall, the percentage of positive traps was 19.2%, consistent with 20% in 2010.

Insect Pests of Hardwoods

39

Figure 21: Results of the 2011gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) permanent trap survey.

Table 15: Summary of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) permanent, multipher pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia 1998 to 2011.

Year


Number of Moths/Trap Total Moths Placed Returned Zero

Low 1 - 100

Moderate 101 - 300

High >300

1998 23 22 3 (13.6) 19 1 1 1 717

1999 22 22 6 (27.3) 16 4 0 2 971

2000 21 21 9 (42.9) 12 6 0 3 2136

2001 21 21 11 (52.4) 10 8 1 2 2080

2002 22 22 15 (68.2) 7 11 1 3 3581

2003 24 24 16 (66.7) 8 12 1 3 2804

2004 23 21 14 (66.7) 7 10 1 3 1873

2005 21 14 8 (57.1) 6 5 1 2 1559

2006 22 21 12 (57.1) 9 7 3 2 2029

2007 21 18 12 (66.7) 6 7 2 3 2702

2008 19 19 11 (57.9) 8 8 0 3 3739

2009 21 19 12 (63.2) 7 6 4 2 2545

2010 20 19 11 (57.9) 8 5 1 5 3093

2011 20 19 13 (68.4) 6 7 2 4 3188

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Figure 22: Results of the 2011 gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) delta trap town survey.

Table 16: Summary of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) delta pheromone trap surveys conducted by Forest Health in Nova Scotia 2002 to 2011.

Town

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

Advocate 10 100 10 100 10 90 10 90 10 90

Amherst 9 100 8 100 13 76.9 15 53.3 TO

Antigonish 10 40 10 50 5 100 10 40 10 10

Baddeck 9 55.6 10 10 10 0 10 10 10 0

Big Pond 10 0 10 0 10 10 10 0 10 0

Cheticamp 10 80 9 11.1 10 10 10 30 10 10

Five Islands 10 100 10 100 9 100 10 100 10 100

Guysborough 10 0 10 30 10 0 10 0 10 0

Inverness 8 25 10 0 10 10 10 20 10 20

Mulgrave 10 20 9 0 8 0 10 0 10 10

New Glasgow 10 50 10 70 10 90 10 90 10 90

Parrsboro 9 100 10 100 9 100 10 100 TO

Pictou 10 10 10 30 10 40 10 40 10 30

Sheet Harbour 11 9.1 --- 8 75 10 40 10 10

Sherbrooke 10 20 10 0 10 30 10 10 10 0

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Town

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

Shubenacadie 10 80 9 55.6 5 80 5 0 9 90

Stewiacke* 9 55.6 8 87.5 5 80 5 0 10 90

St. Peters 9 0 9 22.2 --- 10 0 ---

Tatamagouche 9 66.7 7 57.1 10 60 8 87.5 10 70

Truro 9 88.9 24 87.5 24 100 20 100 TO

Town

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

# of Traps

% Positive

Advocate 9 55.5 DS

Antigonish 10 10 10 40 10 80 10 50 10 30

Baddeck 9 0 10 20 9 0 10 0 10 0

Big Pond 10 0 10 0 10 0 9 0 10 0

Cheticamp 10 0 9 11.1 9 0 10 0 8 0

Five Islands 10 100 DS

Guysborough 10 0 10 10 10 10 8 0 10 0

Inverness 10 0 10 0 7 0 10 0 8 0

Mulgrave 10 0 10 10 --- 9 0 9 0

New Glasgow 10 100 10 100 10 100 10 100 9 100

Pictou 10 30 10 80 10 30 10 30 10 50

Sheet Harbour 10 20 10 20 10 70 DS

Sherbrooke 10 0 10 30 10 40 10 20 10 30

Shubenacadie 6 100 DS

Stewiacke* 4 100 DS

St. Peters 10 0 10 0 9 0 9 11 10 0

Tatamagouche 10 50 10 40 1 100 DS

Na = traps not deployed or information not available

Ds = deleted from survey

42

Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle - Tetropium fuscum (Fabr.)

The brown spruce longhorn beetle is native to northern and central Europe and Japan. It was positively identified in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1999, but has been established in the province since at least 1990. This is the only known occurrence of this wood boring beetle in North America. It has been confirmed in red, Norway, white and black spruces. It is considered a pest of quarantine significance and is therefore regulated under the federal Plant Protection Act by the CFIA.

To help prevent the spread of the beetle, the CFIA issued a Ministerial Order in 2000 which restricts the movement of high risk articles including spruce round logs, unprocessed wood chips (> 4cm), and bark out of the regulated area (Figure 23). The order was revised in 2008 mandating that a one kilometer movement restriction be placed around all positive locations outside of the original regulated area. The NSDNR works with the CFIA and CFS in a joint effort to monitor the beetle’s spread within Nova Scotia using pheromone traps.

Figure 23: Brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) regulated area 2011.


In 2011, an extensive detection survey comprised of pheromone trapping was conducted throughout Atlantic Canada (Figure 24). There were 20 positive sites outside

Invasive Pests

43

the regulated area (Figure 25). In Nova Scotia, five new positive sites were detected in the counties of Halifax, Hants, and Luneburg (Figure 26). In New Brunswick, there was one positive site located near a campground in Kouchibouguac National Park (Figure 26). This is the first time the beetle has been detected outside the province of Nova Scotia. All other traps deployed in the Atlantic Provinces were negative. These new records bring the total number of positive sites outside of the beetle regulated area to 65.

Figure 24: Brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) trap locations for Eastern Canada 2011.

44

Figure 25: Positive sites (20) detected outside of the brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) regulated area in 2011.

Figure 26: New (circled) brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum) positive sites detected outside the regulated area in 2011.

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West Nile Virus

West Nile virus is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes acquire the virus from feeding on birds and then can transmit it to humans. No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Nova Scotia. Mosquito surveillance has been suspended due to lack of West Nile virus activity, but will be re-introduced if the virus is detected within wild bird populations. No birds have tested positive since 2003, and as of 2010, dead birds are no longer tested for West Nile virus.

Tick Survey

The Department of Health and Wellness is the Lead Agency for tick and Lyme disease related issues in Nova Scotia. Passive surveillance was conducted province-wide until September 2011, in which specimens submitted by the public, veterinarians and physicians to Forest Health or the Museum of Natural History were accepted for identification. Forest Health now conducts active surveillance for blacklegged ticks in Nova Scotia on their behalf to determine new areas where they are becoming established. Active surveillance utilizes two techniques: trapping of small mammals and drag sampling. The Department of Health and Wellness no longer needs to receive ticks for testing or surveillance purposes.

In 2011, 1500 ticks were submitted to Forest Health for identification, of which the majority (850) was black legged ticks (formerly known as deer ticks - Ixodes scapularis) (Table 17). Currently, there are five established populations of Blacklegged ticks in Nova Scotia:

• Pictou County – around Melmerby Beach, Egerton, Kings Head, and Pine Tree;

• Lunenburg County - Blue Rocks, Garden Lots, Heckmans Island, First Peninsula and areas immediately surrounding them;

• Halifax County - Admirals Cove in Bedford;

• Shelburne County - Gunning Cove and;

• Yarmouth County - Gavelton area.

A population is considered established when more than one life stage of the blacklegged tick has been found in an area.

Table 17: Number of tick identification inquiries from 2002 to 2011.

Number of Tick Identification Inquiries

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011*

45 170 186 190 569 635 1191 1350 1384 1500

Arthropods of Importance to Human Health

46

Number of Tick Identification Inquiries

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011*

*Passive surveillance was discontinued by the Department of Health and Wellness on September 30,

2011 in favour of increased active surveillance and other more suitable data collection methods.

Forest Health have coordinated the identification of pests affecting Nova Scotia’s forests since 1995. Specimens were submitted for identification by private landowners, forestry companies, and district PDO’s. Correct and timely pest identification is essential for the planning of monitoring and control strategies, selecting control options, and determining overall risk. In 2011, 100 inquiries were answered. Of these inquiries, 25 (24.8 %) dealt directly with our forest resource i.e. plantations and woodlots; the remaining 76 (75.3 %) were general homeowner inquiries (Table 18).

Table 18: Summary of pest identification inquiries to Forest Health from 2001 to 2011

Inquiry Related to Number of Pest Identification Inquiries

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

General Identification 120 170 154 141 131 166 132 211 125 86 76

Forest and Urban Trees 152 159 118 91 68 77 69 0 32 44 25

Forest Health Surveys NR NR 269 270 225 296 NR NR 2 5 0

Fungal/Abiotic* 36 42 45 21 23 10 0

Total Inquiries Received 272 329 541 502 460 581 246 232 182 145 101

*From 2001 - 2004 fungal/abiotic identifications were incorporated as part of forest and urban tree.

NR = not recorded

Newsletter: Insectary Notes

Forest Health publishes Insectary Notes, a bi-monthly newsletter. It originated as a publication chiefly for NSDNR employees, those interested in forestry and forest pests and entomologists. Through nineteen years in publication, it has grown to reach offices in all levels of government, in every province of Canada and some States. The objective of this publication is to communicate current information in a timely manner using a recognized and easy to understand format.

Communications

Pest Identification Service

47

Website

The NSDNR Forest Health section website, http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/forestprotection/foresthealth/default.asp, was launched in March of 2003. It presently contains fact sheets for various forest pests. Future plans for the website include increasing the number of fact sheets and including links to other sites within the government site that would be of use to clients.

Extension and Outreach

Forest Health delivers programs for elementary school aged students. The student education program, along with programs for adults and stakeholders, has grown into a significant part of the overall Forest Health work pan.

Forest Health participates in the Kids in the Forest program, held as part of the Woodlot Owner of the Year Awards each fall; various spring field days and National Forest Week in September; as well as yearly information sessions as part of the Woodland Owner Conferences and Christmas Tree Producer Associations technical sessions and field days.

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Abiotic - non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment.

Aerial Survey - visual assessments, made from the air, of forest disturbances caused by biotic and abiotic agents. These surveys are used to record the location, extent and severity of damage, possible damaging agent and the host tree species affected by the damaging agent.

Arthropod –an animal that lacks a backbone, has a segmented body, and hollow jointed legs i.e. insects, spiders, and crustaceans.

Biotic - of or relating to living organisms.

Conifer – cone-bearing trees having needles or scale-like leaves, usually evergreen, and producing wood known commercially as 'softwoods'.

Containment Area - application of phytosanitary measures in and around an infested area to prevent spread of a pest.

Deciduous – referring to a plant that annually sheds its leaves.

Defoliation – loss of leaves, as occurs in natural shedding or from the feeding activities of insects and other plant feeders.

Delta Trap – a trap type used to monitor gypsy moth and many other key insect pests consisting of a wax-covered cardboard housing, a pheromone lure, and an adhesive. The lure is saturated with female sex pheromone which is attractive to male moths. Once inside the trap, males are immobilized by the adhesive coating.

Detection Survey - survey conducted in an area to determine if pests are present.

Dormant - to become inactive during winter or periods of cold weather.

Ecoregions –provincial climatic regions that support distinctive vegetation communities and physiographic patterns.

Ecosystem - a term used to describe a natural unit that consists of living and non-living parts which interact to form a stable system.

Ectoparasite - an organism that lives part or all of its life on a different organism, the host, and from which it derives part or all of its sustenance.

Egg Mass - a group of eggs deposited by the female insect which are adjacent to each other or overlapping as opposed to eggs laid singly.

APPENDIX I - GLOSSARY

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Endoparasite - an organism that lives part or all of its life in a different organism, the host, and from which it derives part or all of its sustenance.

Fixed Radius Plot - a controlled cruise method where small plots of a fixed size are used to sample a portion of a forest area to obtain information (such as tree volume) that can be used to describe the whole area.

Gall - an abnormal swelling of plant tissue caused by insects, microorganisms, or external injury.

Genus (plural: genera) - a group of closely related species e.g. spruce are grouped in the genus Picea.

Gouting - excessive swelling of a branch or shoot; often accompanied by misshapen needles and buds; frequently caused by the balsam woolly adelgid on true firs.

Ground Survey - the objectives of the ground surveys are: to identify the pest organism; determine the host species and locate additional trees affected by the pest in the immediate vicinity before visible crown symptoms appear. It is possible, after obtaining these data, to correct the gross aerial survey data to more accurately reflect the pest conditions within the survey area.

Hardwood - trees which are generally deciduous, broad leafed species such as oak, birch, alder or maple.

Host - any organism upon or within which another organism lives.

Infestation - the presence of a large number of pest organisms in an area.

Instar - the stage of an insect's life between consecutive moults e.g. the first instar is between hatching from the egg and the first moult.

Introduced Species - a species that does not naturally occur in a given area, but has instead been brought in by other means.

Invasive Alien Species– are plants, animals and micro-organisms that, when introduced outside of their natural past or present distribution spread and cause serious and often irreversible damage to Canada's native ecosystems, economy and society.

L2 – abbreviation for second instar larvae; the larva after the first moult. Spruce budworm and jack pine budworm overwinter in this life stage.

Larva (plural: larvae) - the immature form of insects that develop through the process of complete metamorphosis including egg, several larval stages, pupa, and adult. In mites, the first-stage immature is also called a larva.

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Metamorphosis - the change in form that takes place as insects grow from immatures to adults.

Ministerial Order - declares a specific area to be infested with a quarantine pest e.g. brown spruce longhorn beetle (BSLB), identifies the area and materials to be regulated, and restricts the movement of regulated articles that could transport the BSLB.

Moult - in insects and other arthropods, the shedding of skin before entering another stage of growth.

Monitoring - carefully watching and recording information on the activities, growth, development, and abundance of organisms or other factors on a regular basis over a period of time, often utilizing very specific procedures.

Mortality Agent - any biotic or abiotic agent that causes damage to a tree, or other plant of concern.

Multipher Trap - a non-sticky, reusable trap in which moths are attracted to the pheromone lure and killed with an insecticide strip.

Native Species - of local origin, not intentionally or accidentally introduced.

Nymph - the immature stage of insects such as aphids and adelgids that hatch from eggs and gradually acquire adult form through a series of moults without passing through a pupal stage.

Outbreak - a sudden, large increase in an insect’s population.

Over-mature - those trees or stands past the mature stage.

Overwinter – a period of rest or hibernation by which insects survive the winter.

Parasite - an organism that lives part or all of its life in (endoparasite) or on (ectoparasite) a different organism, the host, and from which it derives part or all of its sustenance.

Parasitize - to live on or in a host as a parasite.

Pest - an organism that reduces the availability, quality, or value of some human resource.

Pheromone - a substance released by an organism to affect the behavior or development of other members of the same species; sex pheromones that attract the opposite sex for mating are used in monitoring certain insects.

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Pheromone Trap - a trap which utilizes either a natural or, more typically, a synthetic insect sex attractant pheromone; these traps are usually species specific.

Phytosanitary Measures - any legislation, regulation or official procedure having the purpose to prevent the introduction and/or spread of pests.

Plantation - a group of cultivated trees.

Population - A group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

Predictive Survey - estimate expected defoliation in the coming year. These surveys can be used to forecast stand level defoliation, and will help determine when and where to prescribe stand treatments.

Pupa - the non-feeding, inactive stage between larva and adult in insects with complete metamorphosis.

Quarantine Pest - a pest of potential economic importance to the area endangered thereby and not yet present there, or present but not widely distributed and being officially controlled.

Regulated Area (Zone) - an area, created by the CFIA, into which, within which and/or from which plants, plant products and other regulated articles are subjected to phytosanitary regulations or procedures in order to prevent the introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests.

Regulated Article - any plant, plant product, storage place, packaging, conveyance, container, soil and any other organism, object or material capable of harboring or spreading pests, deemed to require phytosanitary measures, particularly where international transportation is involved.

Sample - the portion of a population collected in a prescribed manner upon which a judgment is made about the entire population.

Secondary Pest – an injurious insect capable of damaging only dying trees or those of low vigour.

Significant Forest Pest – forest pests capable of killing or severely damaging trees over large areas.

Softwood - cone-bearing trees with needle or scale-like leaves such as balsam fir, eastern white cedar and Jack pine.

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Species - a group of individuals that have their major characteristics in common and (usually) can only breed with each other.

Survey - an official procedure conducted over a defined period of time to determine the characteristics of a pest population or to determine which species occur in an area.

Terminal - the growing tip of a stem, especially the main stem.

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