All Hands On Deck

The southern pine beetle is so named because this insect, the size of a grain of rice, was long found exclusively in southern regions. But as climate change has taken its toll, this pest has continued a northward march, including infesting the Long Island Pine Barrens.

Since the southern pine beetle was first found on Long Island in 2014, it has claimed tens of thousands of trees. On the South Fork, where pitch pines and other susceptible trees are prevalent, the pine beetle can easily find victims. The damage is changing the face of the region in an irreversible way.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Long Island towns have been cutting down infested trees since 2015 in hopes of limiting the spread of the beetle, which can’t get very far on its own. But when aided by human activity, such as moving firewood from an affected area to a neighborhood that was previously free of this menace, the pine beetle can expand its range.

Not long ago, it appeared that the southern pine beetle was largely snuffed out, down to a manageable level that would be irksome but not catastrophic. We soon learned we had been naive and our complacency was unearned. At the same time, any hope that a period of sub-zero temperatures will wipe out this pest diminishes each winter, as the world continues to warm.

There are still things that we as residents and stewards of our own land can do. Inspect pine trees regularly for signs of exit holes bored in trunks and the telltale pitch tubes, which are shaped like popcorn and made of tree resin. Email photos to the DEC at foresthealth@dec.ny.gov or call the DEC’s Forest Health Information Line at 1-866-640-0652. East Hampton Town residents can call the land management department at 631-324-7420.

The state and municipalities are keeping an eye on public lands, but private property owners need to do their part too to protect not just their own trees, but everyone’s trees. Monitor trees, report infestations, and allow crews onto your land to take down trees that are hosts to this deadly pest.