The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division works to maintain healthy, productive forest ecosystems by preventing, detecting, and suppressing harmful insects and diseases across all land ownerships. Our goals are to:
- Inform the public about emerging forest health concerns
- Notify stakeholders when their forest resources are at risk
- Provide technical assistance to landowners and timber managers dealing with forest pests or diseases
Contact: David Blythe, Forest Health Specialist
Email: [email protected]
Forest Health Highlights
Explore annual summaries of forest health monitoring and activity in Arkansas:
A Pocket Guide to Arkansas Forest Health
Released in 2022, the Pocket Guide to Arkansas Forest Health is a comprehensive resource for identifying forest insects, diseases, and other tree-injuring agents. It includes images of injury symptoms, potential causes, and management tips.
This guide was co-written by Chandler Barton, Forest Health Specialist for the Forestry Division, with support from Southern Regional Extension Forestry and Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Forest Pests to Know
Visit the Southern Forest Health Website, produced by our partners at Southern Regional Extension Service, for one of the best online resources about forest pests of the south.
Southern Pine Beetle – Southern pine beetle is recognized as the most damaging forest pest in the South. Fortunately, in Arkansas, this beetle has not been a problem since the mid-1990s.
Ips Pine Engraver Beetle – When someone sees a dying, red-colored pine tree in Arkansas, you can be certain that the Ips pine engraver beetle has infested it. Ips pine engraver beetles include three species of bark beetles that periodically kill pine trees, typically after drought conditions.
- University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service – Pine Bark Beetles in Arkansas
- Southern Regional Extension Forestry – Ips in the Southeastern U.S.
Emerald Ash Borer – Emerald ash borer is widely discussed in Arkansas. This non-native beetle will kill ash trees in Arkansas. Eradication of this beetle is impossible, and we will eventually see it infesting ash in every Arkansas county. Prevention is possible on single trees with an insecticide treatment. Please contact your county forester for more information.
Laurel Wilt Disease – Laurel wilt disease, a pathogen carried by the redbay ambrosia beetle, is currently moving through Arkansas. Both the disease and the beetle are non-native and are a serious threat to trees in the Lauraceae family. The biggest concern for Arkansas is the potential loss of sassafras due to this disease.
- University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service – Laurel Wilt of Sassafras
- Southern Regional Extension Forestry – Laurel Wilt and Redbay Ambrosia Beetle
Invasive Plants – A Field Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests
Remember: Don’t Move Firewood
Many of the invasive pests that threaten Arkansas’s forests can be introduced and spread by the movement of wood. Since most invasive pests do not move very far on their own annually, human-involved movement can disperse pests to new areas and cause outbreaks. The Forestry Division discourages the movement of firewood over long distances and urges the public to burn wood near its source. Learn more about firewood and forest pests here.
This program is made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service.
