By Michael Joel-Hansen

Weather

Cold temperatures have some benefits

Feb 7, 2019 | 5:55 PM

The cold hasn’t done us many favours, but it is having a positive effect by tackling invasive species.

Brian Poniatowski, a forest insect and disease specialist with the Ministry of Environment, said the cold weather is killing off more invasive insects – specifically the pine beetle.

“The winter temperatures definitely can affect over winter survival, the more cold we get, the more over winter mortality that we see in species like pine beetle,” he said.

Currently, there have not been any reports of pine beetles in the Prince Albert area. But there are places in northern Alberta where the insects have been found. In Saskatchewan the beetles have been found in the Cypress Hills in the southwest corner. Poniatowski said even though the insects have not been found in the north of the province they are keeping an eye out.

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“We are monitoring for it,” he said.

Poniatowski added recent weather trends over the past few years have affected the insect pest populations.

“There’s been a trend for warmer winters certainly and it definitely can have an affect on pest populations,” he said.

When it comes to solid numbers in regards to the population of pine beetles, Poniatowski said the ministry would not be able to provide any numbers until the end of the winter.

“We visit trees in the spring and we take samples to determine the percentage of over winter mortality,” he said.

According to the provincial government, people who want to avoid helping spread invasive insects like pine beetles can do their part by not bringing in wood with bark on it from Alberta and British Columbia.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn