Concern grows as spruce budworm defoliation continues throughout Cook County

Little moths circling the brown, dying limbs of balsam fir in parts of Cook County are becoming the norm this summer. The moths are also landing in great numbers on homes, windows, and vehicles around Cook County. There’s nothing particularly beautiful about the moths. They are small and brown. And they’re the flying end-result of something known as spruce budworm.

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 2023, 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.

Stands of white spruce and balsam fir in Cook County are being devastated by spruce budworm throughout the region, from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to homesteads near the Devil Track River. Wooded lots in and around Grand Marais are also being impacted by spruce budworm this spring and summer, according to Otto.

Officials from the U.S. Forest Service and DNR described a ‘tinderbox’ in the BWCA and surrounding area during recent wildfires, a direct result of forests impacted by spruce budworm. These include the Greenwood Fire near Isabella that scorched nearly 27,000 acres in 2021. More recently, local officials referenced spruce budworm as a reason the Spice Lake Fire had the potential to spread rapidly, a notion that resulted in a partial closure of the BWCA in June.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Otto about what impact spruce budworm are playing when it comes to creating a ‘tinderbox’ in the forests in Cook County. The audio to their conversation is shared below.

In more local news on this topic, Cook County UM Extension, Cook County Soil and Water, and Firewise officials are sharing information with local landowners about spruce budworm. The event and discussion is set for Aug. 22 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at Cook County Higher Education in Grand Marais. Click here for more details.

Joe Friedrichs July 5, 2023