Kuban Ministry for Natural Resources calls on volunteers to help save boxwood forests

In the Krasnodar Territory, the regional Ministry for Natural Resources has addressed local residents and environmental organizations with a request to help in the fight against butterflies destroying relic boxwood forests. Andrei Rudomakha, a coordinator of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch) has called the situation with forests as neglected for too long.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the course of preparation for the Sochi Olympic Games, ecologists paid attention to the spread in the city of insect pests which earlier never appeared in the region. In particular, the ecologists mentioned "boxwood pyralid moths" which destroy leaves of boxwood trees. The insect pests were brought to the region with planting material for landscaping of Olympic facilities.

According to the website of the Ministry for Natural Resources for the Krasnodar Territory, the ecologists search for effective methods of pest control since 2012. Their search is complicated by the fact that the laws prohibit use of pesticides in water protection zones and near villages and towns.

The Ministry appealed to federal agencies with a request to change the laws, but did not succeed.

The only way to combat boxwood pyralid moths is to mechanically collect caterpillars and trim branches with eggs, but it is expensive and inefficient.

"The situation is extremely complicated, and it is difficult to change it, since everything has been neglected for too long period of time," reported Andrei Rudomakha as quoted by the official website of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.