The bark beetle situation in Saxony's forests remains tense. The early swarming of the bark beetles due to the warm weather at the end of March was unfavorable, Renke Coordes from the state enterprise Sachsenforst told the German Press Agency on request. As a result, there is a risk that up to three generations of beetles could form by the fall, which could lead to mass reproduction.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the development of the broods is progressing. "In the meantime, young beetles of the first generation have already developed from the eggs laid in the lower hills, while larval stages still predominate in the broods in the upper areas of the Ore Mountains," said a ministry spokesperson. However, the amount of infested wood has only increased slightly compared to the previous year.
According to Coordes, high levels of beetle activity are currently being observed in large numbers. In addition, there are still many older spruce trees, particularly in the Ore Mountains and Vogtland and in some other regions, which are potentially threatened by a mass proliferation of bark beetles.
