Yen Thanh: Caterpillars damage more than 400 hectares of pine forest

(Baonghean.vn) - Due to complicated weather conditions, many pine forests in Yen Thanh district have begun to have caterpillars from age 1 to age 3 causing widespread damage. To protect forest resources, since March 23, Yen Thanh district has implemented preventive measures to prevent the pine caterpillars from spreading into an epidemic.

Through the investigation and forecast, the caterpillar problem in pine forests in Yen Thanh district appeared earlier than every year and developed strongly. Since mid-March, the caterpillars have appeared and damaged the entire forest area, with a common density of 40 - 50 worms per tree. Particularly in Sub-areas 889; 890A; 886 in Dam Dam area, Xuan Thanh commune, the caterpillars are developing strongly, with an average density of about 100 worms/tree.

Yen Thanh forestry technical staff instructs on the use of biological product Boverin to prevent pine caterpillars. Photo: Thai Duong

Faced with the above developments, Yen Thanh Protective Forest Management Board has mobilized human resources and means to surround and eradicate pests on an area of ​​400 hectares of pine trees in this area.

In addition to the 4 existing motorized powder sprayers, the Board has invested over 210 million VND to buy 0.5 tons of biological products Boverin and VBT; 1.2 tons of additive powder for spraying to prevent and kill caterpillars.

Accordingly, every day the Board mobilizes 5 machine shifts along with 20 technical staff and workers directly participating in spraying from 5-7am and 4-7pm, ensuring enough humidity for the medicine to easily adhere to the leaves, achieving high efficiency.

Spraying to prevent and eradicate pine caterpillars is being carried out in Sub-area 889, Xuan Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh. Photo: Thai Duong

To focus on effective prevention work, officers and workers of Yen Thanh Protective Forest Management Board stick to the forest to deploy spraying at the right time; launch a campaign to catch worms in cocoons, use trap lights to catch butterflies; at the same time, strengthen propaganda about the risk of pests and train forest owners in prevention work.

According to the plan, in 2017, Yen Thanh district will achieve an output of 260 - 280 tons of pine resin. Photo: Thai Duong

The entire Yen Thanh district currently has over 700 hectares of pine forests, most of which are in the resin exploitation period. In the current weather conditions, it is likely that from mid-April to early May, the stage when the caterpillars mature, the level of forest pests will become more complicated. If the worms are allowed to develop into an epidemic, it will lead to canopy burning, seriously affecting resin productivity, leading to the risk of forest fires in the hot season.

To limit the risk of widespread outbreaks, the Yen Thanh District Forestry Department has focused on directing production units, forest communes and forest contracted households to deploy zoning, strengthen investigation, forecasting, and monitoring the development of pests to take timely eradication measures./.

Sun