It is shaping up to be another bad year for British Columbia's forests, which have been decimated in recent years by a massive mountain pine beetle infestation.
Forestry officials in the province's Interior had hoped for a long, cold winter to kill the tiny pest.
But it now looks like that didn't happen.
The mountain pine beetle is notorious for attacking mature lodgepole pine trees, laying eggs under the bark, and depriving the trees of moisture.
Despite record-setting cold spells in December and March, pine beetles now appear to be climbing out of hibernation and are ready for another attack.
Experts say the cold killed some beetles, but only the smaller, less mature ones.
To date, the pine beetle has devastated nearly 14 million hectares of B.C.'s forests.
