Bark beetle situation in Saxony currently relaxed

In Saxony's forests, the burden of the bark beetle has recently decreased. The current situation is "quite relaxed", said Marco Horn, deputy spokesman for the state enterprise Sachsenforst. Among other things, the abundant rainfall of the past year has contributed to this. This provided the soil with a good supply of moisture. "And that makes the trees more resistant."

Experts in the state forest noticed an intensive swarming flight of beetles in early May and early June. The activity of the animals is monitored using special traps. However, there has been no major damage so far. According to Horn, this is a continuation of the positive trend of recent years. However, warm and dry weather conditions could favor the development of the beetles - especially for their main host plant, the spruce. "Our foresters therefore remain vigilant."

More beeches and oaks instead of susceptible spruces

Horn also attributes the positive development to the fact that there are now fewer spruces in Saxony's state forest - and therefore less of a target for the bark beetle. In places where large stands of spruce were destroyed by the pests, beech and oak trees are now the main species growing. In the Ore Mountains, silver fir in particular is being used for forest conversion.

In the meantime, the experts have also developed a good method for detecting and tracking down damage. "This allows us to react more quickly," says Horn.

Last year, around 185,650 solid cubic meters of damaged timber fell in the state forest, compared to just under 260,000 in 2023. However, this includes not only trees infested by the bark beetle, but also damage caused by snow and storms. The bark beetle infestation hit Saxony's forests particularly hard in 2019 and 2020, leaving many areas bare.