Spruce budworm field crews are busy in the Fredericton lab processing branch samples collected from trees in northern New Brunswick. Branches are examined carefully for signs of spruce budworm as well as any other insects that might be feeding on branches. These collections occur periodically through the season and give us estimates of budworm density both within and outside of insecticide treatment areas. Collectively, branch data provides the basis for knowing where budworm is currently most active, as well as whether treatments have been effective in pushing budworm populations down (i.e., whether the Early Intervention strategy is working well).
