Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Checkup

Overview

NCX’s SPB Checkup helps NCX Members assess their forest’s resilience to SPB outbreaks and reduce risk. By analyzing property data, geospatial risk factors, and management options, landowners can make informed decisions to protect their pine forests from one of the most destructive pests in the U.S. South. 

Who has access to the SPB Checkup?

Available to NCX Members in Mississippi, with plans to expand to other high-risk states. Non-Members in Mississippi can join for free for a limited time through our USDA NRCS partnership. 

Where can I find the SPB Checkup?

NCX Members in Mississippi can find the SPB Checkup on their Landowner Account Dashboard.

How it works

• Assess your risk

  • The SPB Checkup calculates your Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Resilience Score—an estimate of how well your forest can withstand an outbreak and the potential impact on timber value. We use the US Forest Service TreeMap to assess species and density, and LandFire data to reflect recent harvest activity (as of October 2024). This helps us determine the type and density of pine on your land, key factors in your resilience rating. 

• Next, the SPB checkup breaks out your direct and indirect risk, based on not only the composition of your forest but also the composition of neighboring and regional forests. For example, dense forests on neighboring properties increase the likelihood of SPB transmission that can impact your land. 

Resilience score categories

• Low (high risk): Vulnerable to outbreaks; immediate action recommended. (Red)
• Moderate: Some risk factors present; proactive management recommended. (Purple)
• High/Very High (low risk): Strong defenses, but monitoring is recommended. (Blue)

Explore mitigation options

• Compare recommended mitigation plans alongside corresponding treatment action maps. Understand their impact on your resilience score, what activities they will entail, and potential funding programs.  
• Mitigation plan options:
  • Monitor Only Plan
    • Accepts the risk of low resilience in favor of maximizing long-term timber value.
    • Focuses only on monitoring the most likely outbreak (low-resilience) areas.
    • No thinning or commercial harvesting is conducted.
  • Enhanced Resilience Plan
    • Balances risk reduction while maintaining long-term timber revenue.
    • Thins dense immature pines (age <24) and selectively harvests mature dense pines (age>24) in low-resilience areas.
    • No active monitoring outside of standard landowner observations. 
  • Maximum Protection Plan
    • Prioritizes risk reduction and minimizes timber revenue loss. 
    • Thins dense immature pines (age<24) and commercially harvests mature dense pines (age>24) in areas with both low and moderate resilience.  
    • No active monitoring outside of standard landowner observations.

Take action

• Choose between:
  • DIY Implementation: Save and execute your selected plan at your own pace, with NCX-provided tools. 
  • NCX Assistance: A member of our team will take care of it all for you. This starts with a free consultation call, after which NCX will draft a cost estimate for your approval. Once approved, NCX will manage contractor procurement, rate negotiation, scheduling and ongoing management…until the job is done.

FAQ’s

• Q: What is Southern Pine Beetle and how could an infestation or outbreak affect me? A: The Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) is one of the most destructive pests affecting pine forests in the U.S. South. These beetles burrow into trees and disrupt their ability to transport water and nutrients, which can quickly lead to widespread tree mortality. SPB infestations can:
  • Kill large sections of your forest within a single season
  • Reduce timber value, leading to financial losses
  • Alter wildlife habitats, affecting biodiversity
  • Increase wildfire risk, due to the dead and dying trees
• Q: How often is the data updated in the SPB Checkup? A: We incorporate the latest regional outbreak data and resilience scoring on a regular basis. Specifically, we rely on Clemson University’s data delivery cadence and then match their county level SPB trapping data (the actual catching and counting of beetles) against your specific land. Your personal risk assessment will reflect the most current information available. 
• Q: What if I don’t see the SPB Checkup on my account dashboard? A: The SPB Checkup is currently available to NCX Members in the state of Mississippi only. As more states are added to our available coverage area, we will proactively inform those landowners via email. 
• Q: Can NCX help me implement my chosen action plan? A: Yes! If you choose the ‘NCX Assistance’ option, we can connect you with funding programs, mitigation work contractors, and service providers to execute your plan efficiently. We’ll provide a cost estimate for the implementation plan and manage all the moving parts until the work is completed.

• Q: What if I think my SPB Resilience Score is inaccurate? A: If you notice discrepancies, we recommend cross-checking your assessment with on-the-ground observations. Please report concerns to landowners@ncx.com for further review so we can improve our data calibration.

• Q: When conducting an ‘on-the-ground’ check myself, how do I know what to look for to know if I have a SPB infestation? A: Look for what’s called ‘pitch tubes’, which are small popcorn-sized masses of sap in the cracks of the bark. These can appear as white, yellow, or reddish-brown depending on the tree species. Other signs of beetle activity include fading foliage, reddish-brown sawdust-like material around the base of the tree, and dropped needles at the base of the tree. Learn more in our NCX Guide for Southern Pine Beetle.