Spruce budworm now attacks Forestville

While the spruce budworm epidemic has subsided in the area from Baie-Comeau to Sept-Îles, the caterpillar is now setting its sights on trees near Forestville. According to the Société de protection des forêts contre lesinsectes et maladies (SOPFIM), it is particularly voracious: the defoliated area has almost doubled in two years.

The area affected by the spruce budworm on the Côte-Nord has increased from 340,000 hectares in 2022 to 690,000 in 2023, said SOPFIM Director General Éric Lacroix, speaking to Hello Coast Tuesday. Areas north and west of Forestville are the most affected.

We can officially say that the epidemic is over in the Baie-Comeau, Port-Cartier and Sept-Îles sector, but there are still infested areas in the Forestville sector.

Since 2009, three years after the start of the epidemic, the SOPFIM carries out spraying with biological insecticide to limit the spread of the insect on the North Shore.

According to the specialist, operations will still be necessary for three years in the region, due to the increase in the areas affected.

A so-called “efficient” watering program

According to its latest report, the SOPFIM protected 26,000 hectares of forest against the devastating caterpillar in 2023 on the North Shore, in addition to the areas targeted this year.

In 2024, 685,000 hectares were protected across the province. This is the first time in 15 years that the insecticide spraying operation has ended so quickly, before Quebec’s national holiday.

Last year, forest fires disrupted watering and SOPFIM had only been able to spray 70% of the planned areas. This year is completely different, due to the weather and the absence of fires in the targeted areas, says Eric Lacroix. The program went extremely well, it is very effective this year.he rejoices.

Protect to harvest better later

Resources do not allow the SOPFIM to water only 5% of the affected sectors, indicates the general director. It is impossible to water everywhere, so we protect areas of high value for the forest industry, in the areas that will be harvested.

These areas are chosen according to certain criteria, including the species or age of the forest. The goal is to protect the annual foliage to allow photosynthesis. We help the trees get through the epidemicsays Éric Lacroix, who believes that the results are very conclusive.

Trees affected by the insect that are not protected have a life expectancy of three to five years.

Despite the efforts of the SOPFIMit is possible that the caterpillar will one day return: the epidemic follows a natural cycle of around thirty years, and the strongest period lasts from 10 to 15 years.

Across the province, the affected areas are immense. In 2023, more than 10 million hectares were devoured by the spruce budworm.