In the Bavarian state forests, work is underway to remove the many trees infested with bark beetles. The aim is to remove as many infected trees and trunks as possible by the time the new generation swarms out in the spring, as the state forests announced on Friday. This is intended to limit the number of beetles.
Last year, the beetles, favored by dryness and warmth, once again caused a lot of damage. The insects mainly attack spruce trees and can cause them to die within a few weeks. “Many beetles have drilled into the spruce trees in the fall and hibernate there,” explained a spokesman. “With the warmer weather – usually in April or May – the bark beetles fly out again.”
In recent weeks, machines have not been able to be used in many places due to the damp and comparatively warm weather, otherwise paths would have been softened and damaged. The ground is now frozen hard, so the state forests want to take advantage of the wintry hour. “We are working at full speed because the weather is currently playing into our hands,” said the spokesman.
In the 2023 financial year, the state forests counted a total of 1.8 million cubic meters of damaged wood, almost 80 percent caused by bark beetles. The focus was in the northeast of Bavaria, especially in the Franconian Forest.