GFC Tracking Pine Beetle Population

The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) is working to set pine beetle prediction traps throughout Georgia. The prediction traps will catch southern pine beetle (SPB) on a weekly basis to determine what population numbers might be during spring and summer and gauge the likelihood of an SPB outbreak this year. In 2023, GFC foresters ground-surveyed more than 320 SPB spots, and by February 24 of this year, an additional 30 spots had been identified, with a few still being active. Landowners and foresters are encouraged to closely monitor their pine forests for signs of SPB activity this year. Some of those signs include fresh green needles on the ground, fading yellow-to-brown crowns, and pitch tubes in the tree bark.

 

Last year, Georgia also had a record number of new cogongrass detections. The majority of these 175 detections are located in southwest Georgia, with the top five being Decatur, Calhoun, Grady, Early, and Seminole counties. As of February 24 of this year, 26 new detections had been confirmed, bringing the total number of known cogongrass locations to 1,976. Cogongrass can be easier to identify in spring when it blooms with fluffy white seed heads.