If the number of trees infected with mountain pine beetle that were cut down and removed from the Vernon area in the last 
three months are any indication, the next outbreak of the small wood boring bug could see trees killed on a scale similar to the Kamloops infestation. “We‘ve removed 27 infested trees in the last three months and we‘re still going seven days a week,” said arbourist Pat Davies, addressing council yesterday. The beetle, which bores into trees and eats the nutrient rich loam between the bark and the wood, kills trees almost instantly. “As soon as the beetle is in there, the tree is dead, there is nothing that can be done,” said Davies. Davies was before council to propose a solution which would employ 12 to 15 people removing infected trees from residential Vernon properties. The program would cost approximately $700 per day. A similar program in Kelowna has already removed over 22,000 kilograms of wood infected with the beetle. Davies noted that having dead trees infected with pine beetles on a property was a huge liability to home owners as the trees often broke off about one metre above ground. Some insurance companies were refusing to look at claims involving pine beetle infected trees, Davies said. Council agreed to look at how the issue could best be dealt with and Coun. Pat Cochrane suggested that the issue be fast tracked. The city is looking at a partnership with Service Canada to help combat the problem. Public education regarding the pine beetle was also a concern of Davies, who felt that more needed to be done to inform people of the menace the beetles caused. The City of Vernon website has information on the signs of a pine beetle infestation and what residents can do to try and prevent their trees from being attacked. Visit www.vernon.ca and look for the pine beetle information sheet in the city news section.
three months are any indication, the next outbreak of the small wood boring bug could see trees killed on a scale similar to the Kamloops infestation. “We‘ve removed 27 infested trees in the last three months and we‘re still going seven days a week,” said arbourist Pat Davies, addressing council yesterday. The beetle, which bores into trees and eats the nutrient rich loam between the bark and the wood, kills trees almost instantly. “As soon as the beetle is in there, the tree is dead, there is nothing that can be done,” said Davies. Davies was before council to propose a solution which would employ 12 to 15 people removing infected trees from residential Vernon properties. The program would cost approximately $700 per day. A similar program in Kelowna has already removed over 22,000 kilograms of wood infected with the beetle. Davies noted that having dead trees infected with pine beetles on a property was a huge liability to home owners as the trees often broke off about one metre above ground. Some insurance companies were refusing to look at claims involving pine beetle infected trees, Davies said. Council agreed to look at how the issue could best be dealt with and Coun. Pat Cochrane suggested that the issue be fast tracked. The city is looking at a partnership with Service Canada to help combat the problem. Public education regarding the pine beetle was also a concern of Davies, who felt that more needed to be done to inform people of the menace the beetles caused. The City of Vernon website has information on the signs of a pine beetle infestation and what residents can do to try and prevent their trees from being attacked. Visit www.vernon.ca and look for the pine beetle information sheet in the city news section. 
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