Spruce beetle outbreak

Last updated on January 26, 2024

The spruce beetle is native to British Columbia and is regularly seen in forested areas, however, higher-than-normal populations have been recently found in the Omineca region. Spruce beetle the most damaging bark beetle attacking spruce in B.C. 

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Guidance around the spruce beetle outbreak

The provincial government is closely monitoring the situation to minimize any impacts on timber supply and forest ecosystems. B.C. is working with forest licensees, forest communities, and first nations to determine ways to mitigate the current outbreak. Although this outbreak is a concern, the situation is not comparable to the spread of the mountain pine beetle in recent decades.

Guidance documents for Spruce Beetle include:

Forest licensee action plans

Forest licensee action plans are collaborative multi-licensee harvesting plans designed to prioritize harvesting within spruce beetle-impacted stands.

2021

2020

Monitoring Reports

The provincial government used licensee-submitted timber cruise (timber valuation) data to summarize harvesting activities for spruce beetle infested trees.

Fast facts
Omineca Spruce Beetle image

Colour: dark brown to black, reddish wing covers

Size: tiny  four to seven millimetres long (about half a centimetre)

Body: hard, stout, cylindrical

Lifespan: one or two years

Destroys: Large-diameter, mature spruces, including Sitka; usually downed trees or debris

Latin nameDendroctonus rufipennis