Killer spruce tree pest eradicated from all 13 outbreak sites first identified in 2021.
England has announced a major victory in its fight against a destructive forestry pest, confirming that the notorious Ips typographus, better known as the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, has been eradicated from all 13 outbreak sites that were identified in 2021.
The bark beetle, which poses a serious threat to spruce trees and Britain’s timber industry, was first detected in the UK in 2018. While the insect generally attacks stressed or dying trees, under the right conditions it is capable of devastating healthy spruce, with the potential to damage an estimated 725,000 hectares of woodland worth £2.9 billion, an area the size of Cumbria.
The Forestry Commission, working with Forest Research, has spent the past three years carrying out an intensive eradication programme, involving strict monitoring, data collection, and the removal of susceptible trees to prevent the beetle from establishing breeding populations.
Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spence, welcomed the announcement:
“We are very encouraged by the fact that our world-leading programme has successfully eradicated the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle from 2021 outbreak sites. With a changing climate comes ever-increasing risks from pests and diseases, and it requires a huge effort by the Plant Health Service to manage outbreaks.”
Dr Anna Brown, Forestry Commission Director of Forest Services, added:
“The success of our eradication and monitoring programme shows that we are managing to keep this pest from establishing in England, but this takes a huge amount of effort and the continued support of the woodland and forestry sector. Spruce is vital for our timber security, and it is crucial that landowners remain vigilant.”
New detection in Lincolnshire
Despite the good news, officials have urged caution after a very small new finding was detected in Lincolnshire in July. The Forestry Commission confirmed this was identified through routine surveillance and is thought to have blown over from the European mainland, where the pest is widespread. Crucially, there is no evidence of spread within the UK or of impacts on healthy spruce.
Ongoing vigilance and support
Landowners, land managers and the wider forestry sector are being urged to continue checking their spruce trees and to report any sightings via Tree Alert. Ongoing restrictions remain in place for the movement of spruce material in designated areas to help contain any new risks.
Additional measures are also being rolled out, including:
- A Spruce Site Assessment Grant, designed to support landowners with the removal of susceptible spruce.
- A national monitoring project, run by Forest Research, the Forestry Commission and the Sylva Foundation, which seeks volunteers to host bark beetle traps as part of an early warning system.
- Continued workshops with international partners to share best practice and technological solutions for managing bark beetle outbreaks.
Protecting Britain’s timber future
In warm weather the risk of stressed trees becoming vulnerable to attack, officials stress that continued vigilance is essential. The Forestry Commission insists that through strict monitoring, early detection, and robust eradication, England can continue to protect its valuable spruce woodlands – and safeguard the £2.9 billion industry that relies on them.
Main Image: For illustration purposes only.
