The damage caused by the spruce bark beetle in forests will become noticeable in early May, predicts leading researcher of the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" Agnis Schmits, as reported by LETA.
He explained that bark beetles begin to fly when the maximum daily air temperature reaches +15 degrees, which usually happens in April; last year, for instance, the flight of the beetles started very early — on April 1.
At the same time, Schmits emphasized that the beginning of the beetles' flight is not as significant — what matters is when their mass flight begins, which typically occurs in early May, whereas last year the mass flight started already in mid-April.
The expert predicts that damage to the forest from the beetles will be observable from early May, with the greatest damage expected in June. In the second half of July, the flight of the second generation of beetles will begin, and their activity will continue until autumn.
He noted that forests in Vidzeme and Selia are at the highest risk of damage, where the population of beetles remains high, while in the rest of the country it has significantly decreased.
Schmits added that the highest activity of beetles was observed in 2022, when significant damage to forests was recorded. However, in the last three consecutive years, activity has been declining, partly due to the rainy summer of last year, when it was low.
The Silava Institute is a forestry support institution aimed at acquiring new knowledge through scientific methods and developing innovative technologies to promote sustainable development and competitiveness in the forestry sector.
