Database

Cut trees damaged by bark beetles as soon as possible

Habitat	Function	Type of work
Forest	High-quality timber	Bark beetle control

Biological techniques and tools should be preferred to prevent forest damage and to control its spread. The use of non-biological plant protection products on forest land is only allowed in justified cases.

Description of the action

To prevent spruce bark beetle damage, groups of spruces damaged by wind, snow, excess water, etc., or broken by storms should be logged and removed from the forest as quickly as possible before the spruce bark beetle flight. The spruce bark beetle begins its first flight in spring when birches start to leaf out, and the second flight begins around mid-July. If spruces have already dried out, the spruce bark beetles have left them, and logging and removal of these trees will not affect the spruce bark beetle population.

Why?

Removing freshly damaged spruces from the forest due to wind, snow, or excess water reduces the likelihood of mass reproduction of spruce bark beetles. It is not necessary to remove every single damaged spruce, but if they form a group (e.g., ten or more closely located trees), they should be cleared. Already dried spruces do not contribute to reducing spruce bark beetle populations, as the beetles do not feed on or live in them. Often, dried spruces host entomophagous insects that prey on spruce bark beetles.