$2.8M funding supports research into controlling brown spruce longhorn beetle

Green Hill, NS – The federal government is providing $2.84 million over the next three years to support research into detecting, controlling and eradicating the slow spread of the brown spruce longhorn beetle.

An invasive alien pest, the beetle was first detected about eight years ago in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are jointly funding the three-year science project to study the beetle and determine new options for control. The research will examine the risk and impact of beetle infestation, risk mitigation, natural dispersal, natural control and other options for slowing the spread of the beetle, such as pheromone-based management.