What is the spruce bark beetle? Identify the most common spruce forest pest

What the spruce bark beetle is

The European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is a small bark beetle, about 4–5 mm long, that lives mainly in spruce trees.

Reproduction and habits

It reproduces by boring under the bark of a spruce, where it digs tunnels and lays eggs. The larvae feed on the phloem (inner bark) layer, which carries nutrients in the tree.

The spruce bark beetle reproduces quickly in warm summers, and in favourable conditions it can have as many as two generations during the same summer.

Why the spruce bark beetle is a risk to forests

A single beetle does not usually kill a healthy tree, but large numbers can cause extensive forest damage, especially in spruce stands weakened by drought or storms.

In Finland, the spruce bark beetle is one of the most significant forest pest insects in spruce forests. Climate warming and mild winters have increased the risk of damage caused by it.

Control measures

The most important part of control is to remove storm-felled and damaged spruces in good time, because they offer the beetles an ideal breeding site. Regular monitoring of forests also helps prevent extensive damage.