Mississippi Ice Storm Leaves Pine Forests Vulnerable to Beetles

In Mississippi, forestry officials warned that January’s ice storm has left pine forests vulnerable to bark beetle infestations, MPB reported (4-6-26).

The storm stressed trees and weakened their ability to fend off insects and disease, creating conditions that could allow pine bark beetles—including ips and southern pine beetles—to spread more easily through damaged stands.

“You can go from having just a few trees that are damaged or killed by the beetles to having acres damaged or killed by beetles if you’re not really monitoring that. Unfortunately, a lot of times when landowners notice the impacts from the beetle, it’s kind of too late for that tree,” said Garron Hicks, Assistant Forest Management Chief at the Mississippi Forestry Commission.

Hicks said landowners, particularly in north Mississippi, should watch for signs of infestation such as brown or red needles, pitch tubes, and dust along the bark.

The Mississippi Forestry Commission is conducting trapping and aerial forest health monitoring flights to assess beetle populations and identify possible outbreaks tied to the ice storm damage.