Attention forest owners: Borkenkfer swarms out

In the district of Wrzburg, swarming of the bark beetle is expected again in the next few days. The foresters of the Office for Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry (AELF) Wrzburg are therefore appealing to forest owners in a press release to check thoroughly in the coming weeks whether their spruces have been attacked.

“In the Wrzburg district, a significant proportion of the spruce has been filled in the past two decades, mostly because of the bark beetle,” explains Antje Julke, head of the Forsten department at the AELF Wrzburg. Nevertheless, what can be saved must also be tried to save, Julke continues.

In this situation, logs infested by bark beetles must be processed quickly and then debarked or transported at least 500 meters from the forest. In addition, it is advisable to chop the treetops, because the beetles are already used as broods from a diameter of three centimeters. According to Julke, this so-called “clean forest management” is the only effective and proven method to prevent further spruce infestation, which can also cause larger forest areas with spruce to die.

In addition to the AELF freezers, the Wrzburg Forest Management Association also offers advice and support in the fight.

Short videos about the symptoms

What the symptoms of bark beetle infestation look like and what needs to be done is explained for the first time in two short videos by the Bavarian Forest Administration. The typical characteristics are clearly recognizable: fresh infestation is shown by brown drilling dust, which looks like snuff. It collects on bark scales, on the trunk foot, in cobwebs or on the ground vegetation. As a result, the crowns turn brown and the bark peels off. In such cases, according to Julke, it is important to also examine neighboring trees intensively.

Since the fight against the bark beetle and the preservation of the forests are in the interests of society as a whole, the state government is supporting the forest owners with considerable financial resources in this major challenge. “And beyond that, our district foresters are available to give everyone the best possible advice and action,” adds Julke.

Information about the bark beetle there is http://www.lwf.bayern.de/waldschutz/monitoring/065609/index.php and detailed information on bark beetle control, funding options and contact persons can be found at www.aelf-wu.bayern.de. The two new video tutorials can also be found here.

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• Wrzburg

• Andreas Kster

• Agriculture

• Forest use

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