It can be dangerous to be in forests with dead trees as they can fall and injure people or property. There are also great dangers in felling dead trees manually with a chainsaw. This is according to a recent article published by the Swedish Forest Agency.
Trees that are in danger of falling over paths, roads or houses should be taken down. However, these trees are difficult to fell and do not behave like a healthy tree. For example, there is a risk that the top of the dry tree will break off and fall on the person trying to cut it down with a chainsaw. Felling trees manually requires a lot of skill, so most people should seek help with this.
Trees killed by spruce bark beetle usually fall down on their own after 3-6 years due to decay. By then, the trees have lost most of their bark and all the needles and twigs have fallen off. You may also see dry cracks and large entrance holes from other insects in the trunk.
The rot is most active in summer. Trees can fall at any time, even without wind. If the dead trees are in the wind, the risk of them falling increases. If they are also grouped together, it is even more unsafe, as it can cause a domino effect when one tree falls.
