Spruce budworm likely to impact Cook County trees in coming years

Spruce budworm continues to move through Lake County, as the native insect continues to crawl toward the Cook County line.

The spruce budworm, a native insect and pest in the eyes of many North Shore area residents, continues decimating balsam firs and, to a lesser extent, the region’s spruce. As of July 2021, hundreds of thousands of acres of balsam fir trees have either died or are struggling because of spruce budworm, according to Eric Otto, Minnesota’s northern region forest health specialist for the Department of Natural Resources.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Otto about the spread of spruce budworm in the region. The audio below is their conversation from July 8.