United Stales
Depa~mentsf
Agriculture
Forest Service
Pacific Southwest
Forest and Range
Experiment Station
P.O. Box 245
Berkeley
California 94701
Research Note
PSW-374
May 1985
Paul E. Tiiden
T
Tilden, Paul E. Remedial treatment of lodgepolepine infested with mountain pine beetle: eflcacy ofthree insecticides. Res. Note
PSW-37%. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture; 1985. 4 p.
Lindane is registered for remedial control
of bark beetles; however, forestry uses are
controversial and alternative chemicals are
needed. Chlorpyrifos (Dursban 4E), carbaryl
(Sevimol 4), and fenitrothion (Sumithion
8E) at 1, 2, and 4 pct active ingredient, and
lindane at the registered dosage of 0.6 pct
were sprayed on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorts Dougl. var. latvolia Engelm.) bolts infested with mountain pine beetles (Dendroclonus ponderosae Hopkins) in Colorado.
Mean survival ratios (n=10) of the proportions of beetles emerging from treated bolts
to the proportion emerging from control
bolts indicated that chlorpyrifos and fenitrotkion at 2 and 4 pct were about as effective as
lindane in reducing emergence.
Retrieval Terms: mountain pine beetle,
Dendroctonusponderosae, insecticide, remedial control, Dursban, Sevimol, Sumithion,
chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, fenitrothion, White
River National Forest, Colorado
he mountain pine beetle (Den- effective as lindane in reducing emerdroctonus po~zderosae Hopkins gence of mountain pine beetle from[Coleoptera: Scolytidae]) has caused
infested lodgepole pine bolts.
significant mortality of lodgepole pine
(Pinus conlorta Dougl. var. Zat~~lE'a
Engelm.) in western North America,'
MATERIALS AND METHODS
resulting in ecological and management problems.2 Remedial control of
The study was done during summer
the mountain pine beetle has been
1983 on the Dillon Ranger District,
done since the early 119009s.3A variety
near Dillon, Colorado. The initial exof toxic chemicals has been used since perimental design was to randomly
the 1 9 3 0 ' ~with
~ water emulsions of
assign one bolt from each of B 1 trees to
ethylene dibromide4 and lindane5 being
each of 10 treatments, and two bolts
the most recent treatments.6 The U.S. from the l l trees (for an estimate of
Environmental Protection Agency
within-tree variance) to an untreated
(EPA) has cancelled registration of
check, for a total of 110 treated bolts
ethylene dibromide as a felled log fumand 22 bolts for the check. Of the 1.5
igant to control bark beetles.7 Al- trees felled on June 28, however, only
though the EPA has retained registra10 were sufficiently infested to provide
tion of lindane for bark beetle control,8
I I or more 30-cm-long bolts, 15 to 25
forestry uses of lilndane are controvercm in diameter. Developmental stages
sial.' Therefore, alternatives to ethyof the beetles, checked by chipping
lene dibromide and lindane are needed.
away small pieces of bark, were late
This note describes a field study of
larvae, pupae, and callow adults. One
three insecticides-chlorpyrifos, carbolt from each of the 10 trees plus one
baryl, and fenitrothion-for remedial
additional bolt chosen from trees with
control of the mountain pine beetle, in
more than 11 bolts, were randomly
the White River National Forest, Colassigned to each treatment.
Insecticides were chosen on the basis
orado. Infested bolts were sprayed
with the insecticides at three different
of contact toxicitylo$ll and remedial
concentrations and with lindane at the
efficacy12 against other bark beetles.
registered dosage of 0.6 pct active The treatments were chlorpyrifos
ingredient. Numbers of beetles emerg(Dursban 4E), carbaryl (Sevimol 41,
ing from bolts were compared between
and fenitrothion (Sumithion 8E) each
treatments and untreated checks.
at 1,2, and 4 pet active ingredient (a.i.),
Chlorpyrifos and fenitsothion at 2 and
plus lindane at 0.6 pet a.i.-the regis4 pct active ingredient were about as tered treatment. 13 Dursban 4E at 2 pct
I
Cklorpyr~fos 1 pet
Cklsrpyfifos
NOTES
I
I
----------------
4 pcl
Carbery-yl 1 pct
Carboy1 4 pet
Fenikdthion 1 p ~ 8
Fenitrothion 2 pc$
Fenitrothion 4 pct
--*5 ---4-.3
--*2 -,I
0
.I
*2
*3
.4 ,5
,7
Mean difference
Figure 3---Mean differences in survival ratios and 95 percent simultaneous confidence inbervals between nine insecticide
treatments a n d lindane at 0.6 pct a.i. Two
vertical lines delimit a mean difference of0
0.2 between iindane and another treatment.
+
the other seven treatments were greater
than that for lindane (iable I). HE, for
example, an absolute difference in survival ratios of 0.2 is biologically meaningful, then chlorpyrifos and fenitsothion at 2 and 4 pct a.i, did not differ
from lindane, the three carbaryl treatments were not more effective than
lindane, and the evidence for chlorpyrifos and fenitrothion at l pet was
from environmental effects, such as
rain and external predators, may also
have resulted in overestimation of
emergence. Fumigation effects in the
boxes could have resulted in underestimation of emergence from treated
bolts.
inconclusive (fig. I).
I examined the cardboard boxes
that held the bolts and could find no
beetle emergence holes. The plastic
emergence traps appeared to be an
efficient way to estimate emergence
from a bolt, and to obtain a relative
measure of the effectiveness of the
treatments. Counting the number of
beetles in the plastic traps may have
overestimated the number of beetles
able to fly and attack trees, because
mortalitad of beetles held 48 to 72. hours
after emergence from bolts treated
with an insecticide is usually greater
than that for beetles emerging from
untreated bolts.s*lz Shielding bolts
CONCLUSIONS
Chlorpyrifos and fenitrothion at 2
and 4 pct a.i. were about as effective as
lindane at the registered dosage of 0.6
pct a.i. in reducing emergence of mountain pine beetles from lodgepole pine.
Other factors, such as cost, persistence, and effects on other organisms,
should also be considered before recommending chemicals as alternatives
to lindane for remedial control of bark
beetles. In future studies, the width of
confidence intervals could be reduced
by increasing the sample size and by
choosing a lower level of confidence,
such as 98 percent.
IMcGregor, Mark. The c t u r e ~ l situation
f
of
the mountain piare heefle in he United Stales
a~zdfhe resources involved In: Proceedings of
the joint Canada-United States workshop on
mountain pine beetle related problems in western North America. BC-X-238. Victoria, Be:
Pacific Forest Research Centre, Canadian Forestry Service, Environment Canada; 1982: 16-2 1.
ZWellner, Charles A, Managemen; problems
resultingfio~nmountain pine beetles in lodgepole pine forest. In: Theory and practice of
mountain pine beetle management in Lodgepole
pine forests; symposium proceedings; 1978 April
25-27; Pullman, W A . Moscow, ID: Forest,
Wildlife and Range Experiment Station, University of Idaho; 1978: 9-15.
3KMln, William W. Stratqies and lartics for
reducing losses in lodgepole pine ro moui"~tain
pine beetle by chemical and mecizavlical means.
In: Theory and practice of mountain pine beetle
management in lodgepole pine forests; syrnposium proceedings; 1978 April 25-27; Pullman,
WA. Moscow, ID: Forest, Wildlife and Range
Experiment Station, University of Idaho; 1978:
148-158.
4Stevens, Robert E. E112yterae~iibrornickemu/-.
sion spray for conlroE ofthe mounrai~lpine beetle in locdgepole pine. Wes. Note 122. Berkeley,
CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department
of Agriculture; 1957. 3 p.
SStevens, Robert E.; Mitchell, James @.
Lindane spray effective against tnountaira piuse
beetle irz the Rocky Mounrains. Res. Note R M 167. Fort Collins, Ce): Rocky Mountaial Forest
and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1970. 4 p.
T h i s publication neither recommends the
pesticide uses reported, nor implies tlnas they
have been registered by the appropriate governmental agencies.
7Federal Register. Ethylene dibromiclt.; inlent
lo cancel regisfrations ofpeslici&protdu& conlairzing ethvlerze dibronzide; determination concluding the Webutrlable Presuwzption Agairzsz
Registration; availability of Posieion Document.
Fed. Regist. 48(I97): $6234-46248; 1983 October
11.
Federal Register. hzlent to cuncel pesticide
products containing lind~pre;denin! o f ~ w l i c n ofpes*k.ideprodzrciscon"onsfor
Zaining !indone; dererminniz'on concludirzg the
Reburlable Presumprio,i
avoilabilir-yofPosition Docun2enl. Fed. Regist.
.$8(203): 48512-49522; 2983 October 19.
gKoerber, Thomas W., compiler. Linciane in
foresrv' - . a
conrroveKyl.Gen.
Tech. Rep. PSW-14. Berkeley, CA: Pacific
Forest and Range
Station, Forest Service, U.S.
of Aariculture; 1976. 30 p.
iOLyon, Robert L. Contact toxicizy of 17
ropicaliy adult h r k beetles. Res. Note PSW-249. Berkeley, CA:Pacific
and Range
Station, Forest Service, U.S.
of Agriculmre; 197 1. 3 p.
IlHastings, Felton L.; Jones, Alice S. Corztacr
rox-iciij,qf23 inseclicldes lo sourhernpine beetle
aclzdts. Res. NoteSE-245.Asheville,NC: Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1996.4 p.
'"ones, A. S.; Hastings, F. L.; Kislow, C. J.
Et~aluationof 12 inseclicaides for remedial e f j -
cacy against southernpine beetleadults. J. Econ.
Eneomol. 73(5): 436-7323; 1980 October.
1 3 D u r s b a n provided by D o w Chemical
U.S.A., and Sumithion provided by Sumitorno
Chemical America, Inc. Trade names and commercial enterprises are mentioned solely for
information. No endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is implied.
14Jones, Davy. Use, misuse, and role g m u l f i pie-comparison procedures in ecological and
agricultural entomology. Environ. Entornol.
13(3): 635-649: 1984 June.
V a g e s 67-70 in Miller, Rupert J., Jr. Simu2taneous statistical iuference. 2d ed. New York:
Springer-Verlag; 198 1. 299 p.
PAUL E. TiLDEN is research entomologist with the Station's unit headquartered in
Berkeley studying the biology and control of insects in western forests. He holds a B.A.
degree in general curriculum (1956) and an M.S. degree in entomology (1976) from the
University of California, Berkeley. He has been with the Station since 1967.