The Nordmann fir is not a native conifer. She has to come to terms with different living conditions in this country, which may be detrimental to her vitality. The question is whether this makes it easy prey for local pests.
In the event of a heavy infestation of small pine bark beetles, the Nordmann fir sheds its bark
Two types of pests occur frequently
In its homeland of the Caucasus, the Nordmann fir hardly suffers from pest infestation. It has probably adapted ideally to its living environment over the centuries or even millennia and developed great resilience. It looks worse for them in our latitudes. The following types of pests in particular can be dangerous:
- Small pine bark beetle
- pine aphid
Small pine bark beetle
The bark beetle appears preferentially when the Nordmann fir has been given a very sunny location. In addition, young and weakened specimens are attracted to this pest. In years when their population is particularly large, even healthy trees are not spared. They damage the bark of the tree to lay their eggs underneath. How to recognize the pest:
- Body is 1 to 2 mm long and oval
- dark brown coloring
- Elytra are covered with scales and hair
- The eggs are 0.5 to 0.8 mm long
- the hatched larvae are white and 2 to 3 mm long
You can also recognize an infestation by the fact that shoots and branches turn reddish, sometimes also the crown. As the infestation progresses, the bark also peels off in places. It is not possible to combat the bark beetle directly, which is why an affected fir tree usually has to be felled.
pine aphid
The grey-green shoot aphid also prefers sunny Nordmann firs. An infestation is easily recognizable by the white wax flakes that the pest leaves behind on the bark of the fir tree. It is important that you discover the work of the lice early, because in the worst case it can damage the fir tree to such an extent that it dies.
Use environmentally friendly sprays against lice in winter, for example those based on rapeseed oil.
tips
Do not plant the Nordmann fir in urban areas, because not only pests and diseases are a threat to them. Air pollution also prevents healthy growth because the tree cannot get used to it.