Even if it is relatively small, the bark beetle can cause a lot of damage. It rarely occurs individually, several thousand specimens can live on a single spruce. Unfortunately, fighting it is not easy.

The larvae of the bark beetle eat tunnels under the bark

Contrary to what is often assumed, the bark beetle does not only appear in the forest, it can also infest your spruce in the garden. Drought and heat ensure a massive spread of the pest. If a hot, dry summer is followed by a mild winter, the risk of an infestation is particularly high. Often three generations occur within a year instead of the usual two.

Are there different types of bark beetle?

Basically there are two different types of bark beetles, the bark breeders (larvae feed on the bark) and the wood breeders (larvae live in the wood). In the case of spruce, the bark beetle (Ips typographus) and copper engraver (Pityogenes chalcographus) are the most common.

Both species belong to the bark breeders. A heavy infestation inevitably leads to the death of the spruce. The closer your property is to a spruce forest, the higher the risk of a bark beetle infestation. In an ideal location, however, a spruce rarely falls ill.

How do I recognize a bark beetle infestation?

The first sign of a bark beetle infestation is usually fine brown drilling dust at the foot of the spruce. If you discover this you must act quickly. Drops of resin on the trunk and light spots on the tree bark also indicate bark beetles. When the needles change color or the spruce loses its bark, it is often too late to successfully control the bark beetle.

What can I do against bark beetles?

The affected spruce can hardly be saved, at most if only a single branch is affected. However, this rarely happens. Affected branches must be removed and disposed of properly. Burning works best, then the beetles cannot spread further and spread to other trees.

Insecticides only help to a very limited extent or not at all. Their use should be carefully considered, and in the case of severe infestations it is definitely not enough. An infested spruce must be felled immediately and its bark removed as quickly as possible so that the beetles cannot spread to the neighboring trees.

The essentials in brief:

  • the risk of bark beetle infestation increases in dry and warm conditions
  • weakened spruces are particularly vulnerable
  • first sign of an infestation is often brown drill dust on the trunk
  • now often 3 instead of 2 generations per year
  • Lifespan of a bark beetle: approx. 1 year
  • Book printer: bark beetle specialized in spruce
  • infested tree can hardly be saved

tips

Notify the Forest Service if you have bark beetles in your yard to avoid becoming a nuisance.

Category:

Trees