Bark Beetle May Be Retreating

Severe bark beetle damage is obvious in this photo of Lake Arrowhead, Calif. Landowners and local agencies have been paying millions of dollars to remove trees and lower the threat of wildfire.

The pest responsible for killing tens of millions of California pine and fir trees is apparently declining in numbers, sparking hopes that the worst of the state's bark beetle infestation has passed.

Over the past several years, the pea-sized pest has claimed tens of millions of the state's trees, altering the landscape and raising the risk of fire. Homeowners and local agencies have been shelling out millions of dollars to remove dead timber.

The declining number of beetles and slackening number of tree deaths was reported by scientists monitoring the San Bernardino National Forest, one of the state's hardest-hit areas. Other species of bark beetles are affecting forests from Alaska to Texas, but it's too early to tell if beetle numbers will decline in those areas too.

In early October, scientists reported that the number of pests caught in the Southern California monitoring traps had significantly declined.

?EUR??,,????'??Earlier this year, we were getting half a cup of beetles a week. Now it's a few dozen,?EUR??,,????'?? Forest Service entomologist Laura Merrill told the Los Angeles Times.

While beetles are strongly connected to the mass die-off, scientists believe that several years of drought are at the root of the problem. Bark beetles are part of the region's environment, but trees receiving enough water are able to fight them off by drowning them in sap.

A winter precipitation forecast released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Oct. 6 reports a ?EUR??,,????'??weak to moderate El Nino?EUR??,,????'?? condition in the central Pacific, which may generate above-normal rain in the southwest this winter for the first time in several seasons.

Precipitation may also be higher in Texas and Oklahoma, the report said.