Tree-killing beetle arrives in Cape Breton

A foreign beetle that destroys spruce trees is now on Cape Breton Island.

The brown spruce longhorn beetle was recently found in Big Harbour, Victoria County. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says 15 properties are affected.

Scott Bishop, an inspection manager with the CFIA, said these property owners will have to follow strict guidelines if they want to sell their wood.

He also said they'll have to work with only 16 facilities that are registered under a beetle risk mitigation program, such as the NewPage paper mill in Point Tupper.

The beetle, which is native to northern and central Europe, kills some spruce trees. It usually attacks dying or stressed trees, but can go after healthy ones, too.

Until now, the foreign invader was confined to mainland Nova Scotia. The insect was first identified in Halifax's Point Pleasant Park in 1999, believed to be a stowaway aboard a container ship. It spread to several counties over the years.

This is the only known infestation of the beetle in North America, according to the CFIA website.

A public information session is scheduled for Thursday in Boularderie.

Mark Eyking, the MP for Sydney-Victoria, said people need to know how to spot the beetle and how it moves around so ultimately it can be contained.

"The forestry industry is very important to Cape Breton and it's also important for a lot of small woodlot owners that use the wood themselves," said Eyking.