Spruce bark beetle numbers drop in Southern Estonia
A few years ago, Southeastern Estonia had the highest levels of spruce bark beetle damage, but the pest's spread has now declined, partly due to last summer's cool, rainy weather.
Although it is time to fell trap trees to curb the spread of the spruce bark beetle, no trap trees will be cut in state forests in Southern Estonia this year, as the pest's spread has declined significantly compared with previous years.
"There are certainly several reasons. The main reason the spruce bark beetle population has fallen is that the number of insects that feed on them has increased, reducing their numbers. Last year's rainy and cool summer also had an impact as it did not allow them to reproduce as successfully as in earlier years. All of these factors together have affected the beetle population," said Rein Kukk, head of harvesting for RMK's southeast region.
At the same time, this winter is not expected to harm the beetles and forest owners are advised to keep a close eye on clear-cut areas and take measures to reduce damage as soon as new outbreaks are detected.
"It certainly will not reduce them. The cold does not affect them, since most beetles overwinter in the ground and are covered by snow, so the severe cold does not actually reach them. If a few beetles have remained under the bark, some may die, but this will not destroy the population. For them, it is rather a favorable winter," said Environmental Agency chief specialist Merit Ehrpais.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Marko Tooming
