The purpose of biological insecticide spraying is to keep the forest alive until the epidemic subsides under the influence of natural control agents.
Our planning takes place in three stages
During periods of epidemic, the annual planning of a protection program begins with a fall inventory of dormant insects. Working from the recent history of defoliation, this assessment of anticipated infestation levels constitutes the basic information for prescribing treatments in areas qualifying for direct protection.
Then, the forested areas targeted for protection are divided up into spray blocks, which differ from one another in terms of the number of prescribed applications of insecticide. Any area presenting a certain environmental sensitivity is surrounded by an insecticide-free strip.
Spray missions are using a GPS technology to specifically target the forests requiring protection. SOPFIM establishes a sampling network for tracking the seasonal development of insect with a view to optimize the synchronization of spraying with the feeding period of spruce budworm.