SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Forest experts say tussock moths appear to be at or near a 10-year cyclical peak with caterpillars feeding on Douglas fir and grand fir trees in eastern Washington state and northern Idaho.
Entomologists say the tussock moth outbreaks usually subside within two to three years.
Experts in the two states say that last year the species was active in 140,000 acres in Kootenai County in Idaho and 570 acres in Spokane County in Washington state. Estimates aren’t available for the size of this year’s outbreak.
Tom Eckberg of the Idaho Department of Lands tells The Spokesman-Review (http://bit.ly/o2EUeI ) that the trees often appear dead but usually recover with new buds appearing in the spring.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
