The BC Government is monitoring the movement of the Tussock Moth and it has now been discovered further north in the province than ever before.

An outbreak of the Tussock Moth occurs about every decade. Entomologist Lorraine MacLauchlan says when it comes, it comes on rapidly and they don’t always know where it is going to break out. She says it can cause quite a bit of damage as it feeds on Douglas Fir Trees and can kill them. “What was new this outbreak is we found it up near Dog Creek in the Cariboo which is further north than we’ve seen expulsive outbreaks like this where it’s killing trees over quite a large area.”

MacLauchlan says it doesn’t always know exactly where it is going to erupt into outbreak. “So it can kill trees rapidly because it eats new and old foliage and strips a tree and can kill it.” She thinks that the moth moving further north is a matter of the climate and proper conditions. “Because I am sure there is very, very low levels of tussock moth throughout many or all of our fir forests, but the conditions haven’t been right for it to reach these outbreaks. We don’t know why or how.”

MacLauchlan says people should be careful when chopping up dead fir trees as you may spread the hairs of the moth. She says about 40% of people can have some kind of allergic reaction to those hairs.