BEIJING, March 30 (UPI) -- The American white moth, which has infested trees in nine of Beijing's 10 districts, is threatening China's plan to hold a "green Olympics" in 2008.
The State Forestry Administration announced Wednesday that Beijing and its three neighboring cities, Tianjin, Hebei and Liaoning, would jointly fight the harmful forest migrant from North America, Xinhua reported Thursday.
The moth is threatening plants and crops in six Chinese provinces and municipalities, with 116 counties involved -- and is especially causing damage in Beijing and its neighbor cities.
More than 741, 000 acres in the four places are under attack. In areas surrounding Beijing, 50,000 trees have fallen prey, but Beijing's urban areas have not been attacked yet, said Wei Diansheng of the State Forestry Administration.
The number of counties and districts under Beijing's jurisdiction attacked by the moth has increased from four in 2004 to nine, Wei said.
May is the key period for controlling the moth spread. Beijing has carried out a tree-by-tree inspection in the areas under the moth attack, and forestry stations in the city have strengthened supervision of the moth.
