Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle (BSLB) Survey Update: November 6, 2008

In 2008, the detection survey for BSLB continued to include extensive trapping in Eastern Canada. The CFIA carried out this survey to determine the extent of the beetle's distribution within Nova Scotia and confirm that it had not spread to other provinces. All traps were baited with a combination of two ultra-high-release host-volatile lures and a BSLB pheromone lure developed by the Canadian Forest Service. In Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland trapping occurred at two types of sites. Priority sites (e.g. sawmills, pulpmills, campgrounds and ports, etc.) had three traps per site. General forested areas had one trap per site. In Nova Scotia, staff with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service (NRCan-CFS) assisted CFIA with the trapping effort that occurred primarily at priority and general forested sites.

In addition, four satellite sites, representing the geographical limits of prior BSLB detections were trapped at a higher intensity. Each satellite site included trapping at the center point of the previous detection as well as a network of four traps placed at 250 m intervals in each cardinal direction. NRCan-CFS also established a total of 30 research plots inside and outside the Containment Area. Each research site included an array of three traps. Most of these research plots were established at locations where BSLB had previously been detected. See Table 1 for a summary of the 2008 surveys.

In addition to the surveys outlined above, the CFIA also completed a general forest pest trapping survey - Invasive Alien Species Forestry Trapping. This survey targeted a large variety of wood boring insects including: bark beetles, weevils, metallic wood borers, longhorned beetles, ambrosia beetles, wood boring moths and woodwasps. Nine traps were set at each site and targeted locations such as ports, industrial areas, and wood disposal sites. Traps were baited with different combinations of ultra-high-release host-volatiles lures and aggregation pheromones. BSLB was also detected during this survey in Nova Scotia. IAS traps in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick did not detect BSLB. Results for the Nova Scotia sites are outlined in the Table 2.

• Survey Map for Tetropium fuscum, Eastern Canada 2008
• Survey Map for Tetropium fuscum, Central Nova Scotia

The 2008 survey resulted in 8 new positive locations outside of the current BSLB Containment Area in the counties of Pictou, Halifax, Hants, and Colchester. There are now a total of 26 sites where BSLB has been detected outside the BSLB Containment Area.

• Survey Map of Tetropium fuscum detections outside the BSLB Containment Area from 2006 to 2008