British Columbia’s Mountain Pine Beetle infestation is the largest Canada has seen. By 2016 it’s estimated that 65% of the marketable pine wood in the B.C. interior will have died as a result of the outbreak. And 40% of the interior’s forests are pine! Serious damage is being incurred by the forest industry and local communities as well as to the biodiversity and carbon storage capacity of the forests.
How the Beetles Work
Pine beetles lay eggs under the bark of mature lodgepole pines. The beetles introduce a bluestain fungus into the sapwood of the tree that prevents the tree from repelling and killing the attacking beetles with pitch flow. It also blocks water and nutrient translocation within the tree. The joint action of larval feeding and fungal colonization kills the host tree within a few weeks of successful attack (the fungus and feeding by the larvae girdles the tree cutting off the flow of water and nutrients).
The mountain pine beetle is a natural element of British Columbia’s interior pine forests. Normally, cold temperatures, forest fires and natural predators keep populations in check. However, an abundance of mature lodgepole pine combined with recent mild winters and uncharacteristically hot, dry summers have led to an unprecedented infestation.
Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd.
Recognizing a mandate under the government of BC’s Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan, the Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII) is focused on developing new product uses and markets for Mountain Pine Beetle wood. We were thrilled when they approached Fairware for pine beetle wood USB drives. Engraved with the naturally wood logo, they were the perfect promotional item for the organization.
Interested in USB drives for your organization? We have an entire collection to choose from. Contact us about custom products like the beetle wood USB drives pictured below. Read more about great products we’ve done for other clients HERE.
