Bark Beetle Infestation Found in UK Sitka Spruce for First Time; Scotland Stepping Up Defenses

An invasive beetle wreaking havoc on conifer plantations across Europe has been found for the first time on Sitka spruce in the UK, Wood Central reported (8-6-24).

While the beetle has been found in the UK on other trees, this is the first time that it has been discovered on Sitka, which accounts for 52% of spruce planted across the UK—with 507,000 hectares (1.25 million acres) in Scotland alone.

A Scottish Forestry spokesperson told the Scotsman that “In Scotland, we have an extensive monitoring and surveillance program in place for Ips typographus (the bark beetle) and many other tree pests.” Scotland has already spent months ramping up timber restrictions at ports, in forests, and manufacturing mills, and it is now deploying new technology to monitor forests in the wake of the growing bark beetle crisis.

The beetle’s risk to trees and timber stock will elevate now as species emerge from hibernation, with stressed spruce trees, damaged by windblown or drought “most at risk,” Wood Central reported.

At stake is a £771 million industry (US$979 million), with Scottish timber used in 92% of housing, fencing, paper, and biofuel.

Now, Scottish Forestry is working with Welsh and English authorities to “reduce risks posed by the great spruce bark beetle, Dendroctonus micans.” Adult beetles were intercepted for the first time in September 2023 near Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest container terminal.

While the Scottish forests are not as suitable as Central European forests for the beetle, which has sustained enormous losses to timber-producing spruce, authorities warn that the climate is similar to parts of Scandinavia where the beetle has now taken hold.