Topical application of carbon dioxide and liquid nitrogen against the mountain pine beetle, <i>Dendroctonus ponderosae</i> (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Authors

  • S. P. Taylor British Columbia Forest Service Prince George, BC V2L 3H9
  • I. M. Wilson Phero Tech Inc. Delta, BC V4G 1E9
  • K. J. White British Columbia Forest Service Smithers, BC V0J 2N0

Abstract

A small-scale field experiment was conducted near Prince George to evaluate the effectiveness of topical treatments with CO2 and liquid N2 for killing brood in lodgepole pine trees infested with the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk. (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). CO2 and liquid N2 caused significant (p < 0.05) mortality of approximately 40% and 60 - 63 % of larvae and adults, respectively. About $263 and $67 worth of N2 and CO2, respectively, would be needed to treat 1.5 m of the trunk of an infested tree. The low mortality and high treatment costs make freezing uneconomical compared to the alternatives of monosodium methane arsonate or felling and burning.

Key words: mountain pine beetle; Dendroctonus ponderosae; liquid nitrogen; carbon dioxide; control techniques

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