According to a report from the County Administrative Board of Östergötland, the spruce bark beetle is now waking up and the threat of serious problems remains this year. The insect can cause extensive damage, both economically and to nature.
The spruce bark beetle is a beetle that can wreak considerable havoc on spruce and fir forests. It becomes active in spring and usually swarms once or twice a year, with the first swarm usually occurring in May and June.
- Currently, the spruce bark beetle is in the starting phase of the first swarming of the year. They have started to move, but the majority are still waiting for the heat before we can observe infestations in the forest, explains Therese Holmberg, nature conservation manager at the Östergötland County Administrative Board.
The Östergötland County Administrative Board is responsible for the maintenance of most nature reserves in the county. Grants for nature reserve maintenance have been reduced by about two thirds, which means that measures against spruce bark beetle in the county will be reduced compared to previous years. Priority actions for this year's grant include monitoring outdoor facilities and carrying out maintenance such as grazing and mowing in areas where annual management is necessary to preserve the values of the nature reserves.
- We will also focus on safety. We are removing dead trees along well-travelled paths wherever possible. We endeavour to use our own staff to maintain a good overview of the development of the infestation, but overall we have significantly fewer resources for bark beetle control," says Johannes Kullered, Head of the Protected Nature Management Unit.
The County Administrative Board also maintains 90 spruce bark beetle traps at strategic locations in the county, which are used to monitor the spruce bark beetle spread situation.
Despite reduced subsidies, we will continue to work with the forest industry to discuss how best to protect our forests from damage that leads to economic losses and affects existing natural values.
- It is also important to emphasise that the aim of maintenance in protected forests is to preserve and develop the natural values that originally led to the area being protected," says Johannes Kullered.
