Another year of experimental treatments in New Brunswick for the Early Intervention Strategy (EIS) have come to pass. The 2021 treatments began in late May, when the spruce budworm larvae were entering their mid–instar developmental stage. The timing is important as the insecticides we use must be eaten by the larvae to have an effect. This year our experimental treatment area covered 64,000 hectares.
Experimental treatments are now underway in Western Newfoundland. Approximately 140,000 hectares are being treated from the Port Peninsula northwards to Castor River on the Northern Peninsula. The forest will be treated in mid to late June.
As with previous years, the end of the treatment marks the beginning of the field research period for our teams. Our teams will be gathering data to help us determine how effective this year’s Early Intervention Strategy efforts were at slowing the spread of the budworm.