Economic impact and trends of spruce bark beetle damage in Finland

Climate change and the growing risk of damage

Forest damage caused by the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) has increased in Finland, particularly in the 2020s. The main reason is climate warming, which brings more dry and warm summers. Drought weakens spruce trees and makes them susceptible to the spruce bark beetle, and damage no longer requires storm damage to arise.

Economic impact

The spruce bark beetle reduces the quality of wood and lowers its sales value. If a forest has to be felled prematurely because of damage, the forest owner also loses the growth yield of the trees. The economic losses caused by the spruce bark beetle are estimated at about €4.5–12 million a year, while the costs of all forest damage average about €100 million a year.

Damage trends and risk areas

In 2024, spruce bark beetle damage decreased from the record year 2023, but there was still more of it than before 2023. The most damage was observed in South Karelia, Pirkanmaa, Uusimaa and Kymenlaakso.

According to studies, the amount of insect damage has grown particularly in Pirkanmaa and Uusimaa. Warm summers speed up the reproduction of the spruce bark beetle and widen the areas where it can cause serious damage.

Protected areas and the risk of damage

Protected areas have not been found to increase the spread of the spruce bark beetle. According to studies, damage in them can even be smaller than in managed forests, because the forests are more diverse.

Control and prevention

The spread of the spruce bark beetle is prevented by removing storm-felled spruces and monitoring forests regularly. The Finnish Forest Damage Prevention Act requires larger quantities of windthrown trees to be removed from forests, so that the spruce bark beetle cannot reproduce in them.

Other climate-related forest risks

In addition, climate change increases the risk of forest fires, but in Finland fires have so far remained fairly small thanks to effective fire control. The amount of snow damage has decreased in southern Finland but increased in Lapland, and storms also occasionally cause significant forest damage.