Pine beetle infests southern coastal plain

The Southern Pine Bark Beetle, having laid waste to the Mountain Pine Ridge, has now set its sights on other parts of the country. Reports from the Forest Department indicate that the southern coastal plain, stretching from Silk Grass to Deep River and including Savannah, Swasey, Bladen and Machaca, contain significant pockets of beetle infestation. The Ministry of Natural Resources aided by the Ministry of Agriculture, BAHA and private logging interests are mobilising resources to control the infestation, but the odds do not appear to be good. Particularly favourable climatic conditions have encouraged the pest’s onslaught and it is understood that Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua are also facing devastation in their pine forests.