Peak budworm infestation eats its way through Southeast forest

Look around Southeast and you will see a lot of evergreen trees that aren't so green.

Southeast Alaska's hemlock and spruce trees are fending off an assault by a number of pests and diseases, most notably a caterpillar that causes the conifers to turn reddish-brown.

The main culprit is the western blackheaded budworm, a moth caterpillar that feeds on hemlock and spruce needles, according to U.S. Forest Service Alaska Region entomologist Elizabeth Graham in Juneau.

Graham said Southeast trees are experiencing a peak budworm infestation, a cyclical event that occurs every 30 or 40 years. While t...