What is the Southern Pine Beetle?
The Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) is one of five common species of pine bark beetles that occur throughout the Southeastern United States.Pine bark beetles utilize stressed, dying, or recently-dead pines as hosts.All species tunnel, reproduce, and feed in the inner bark or phloem (located between the outer bark and the wood); this activity disables the transport of sugars through the tree.In addition, several bark beetle species (including the SPB) introduce a blue-stain fungus into the wood, plugging the tree’s water transport system.Typically, pines successfully colonized by SPB are functionally dead within one day after attack, despite the fact that the crown may retain green needles for several days or weeks.
