October, '21] jaenicke: forest insect problems 447 



tions necessary, making a total protective cost of 6% -18% of the crop 

 value. To summarize the insurance cost of the two periods, it is seen 

 that: 



Crop Protection during the growing season requires 6% - 18% of the 



crop value. 

 Crop Protection during the storage period is but 2.3% -3.5% of the 

 crop value. 



FOREST INSECT PROBLEMS OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



By A. J. Jaenicke, Forest Examiner, 

 United States Forest Service, Portland, Oregon 



Until ver\- recently only fire protection was given serious consider- 

 ation whenever forest protection matters were under discussion. The 

 term, forest protection meant protection against fire and only fire. Grad- 

 ually, however, there has been an awakening, and today many of the 

 owners of timberland on the Pacific Coast are convinced that at least in 

 the pine stands, the Dendroctonus beetle menace is as great, if not 

 greater, than the hazard of forest destruction by fire. This awakening 

 has come because of the gradual increase in value of the remaining timber 

 and the resultant more careful attention which is given its protection. 

 The damage caused by the always spectacular forest fire is easy for every- 

 one to see and understand, but m.any observant foresters and even ob- 

 servant entomologists fail to recognize the slower and yet m.ore insidious 

 losses which the bark-beetles bring about in our forests. The Forest 

 Service has long realized the necessity for forest insect control but thus 

 far the funds for such work on the National Forests have been inadequate. 



For more than thirty years the federal Bureau of Entom.ology has 

 investigated the character and extent of the damage caused by the 

 Dendroctonusi beetles to the forests of this country. The life his- 

 tories of these tree-killing beetles have been worked out and m.ethods of 

 control have been developed by the Bureau which are of proven efficacy. 

 The application of these control methods again and again has resulted 

 in the protection of timber at a cost far within the limits of good business 

 practise. Equipped with a knowledge of these control m,ethods, both 

 private and government agencies arc now in a position to effectively 

 protect privately and federally owned forests against bark beetle dep- 

 redations if the necessary funds are at hand. 



In British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California the forest 

 insect problem is most acute in the pine stands. Other species of trees 

 are bv no means irnmune but in the Pacific Coast region the destruction 



