Starting in the Spring of 2023, North Shore Superior Pest Management will be starting a program for limited treatment of “Cabin Site” White Spruce and Balsam Fir for Spruce Budworm.
We are on the front end of a region-wide re-infestation of Spruce Budworm that will defoliate and kill a lot of our White Spruce and Balsam Fir over the next 10 years in Eastern Lake County and All of Cook County.
This cycle happens every 40 years or so and it is making its appearance once again. Homestead sites with dominant and heritage White Spruce stands and Balsam Fir are going to be our primary target with the goal to save as many of these important landscape trees as possible, doing it in as environmentally responsible way as we can.
We are assembling a list of homeowners and cabin owners that want to have trees treated and would encourage interested parties to contact us as soon as possible so we can answer questions and inspect sites.
We are looking at an application that will be a once-yearly treatment around the time the larva emerge from eggs and begin feeding on the new needles. This occurs typically in early May in this zone and careful co-ordination with Forestry and Ag Specialists is needed to time this for best effectiveness.
The goal is to save the trees and get them through the 10-year cycle we are entering. NSSPM is a Cook County-based service, also treating cabins and homes for structural pests such as Carpenter Ants, Cluster Flies, Mice, Wasps and Spiders etc…
Bill Dalin, NSSPM (218) 370-2323
