The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) has been successfully eradicated from all the outbreak sites in England that were identified in 2021.
The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle is a serious pest of spruce trees in Europe and was first identified in the UK in 2018. It prefers stressed or dying trees but, under the right conditions, can attack healthy trees.
The Forestry Commission has eliminated the beetle from all 13 outbreak sites following three years of monitoring on site for beetle presence, gathering data and carrying out regular surveillance to determine eradication and prevent the establishment of breeding beetles.
If left unmanaged, the pest could significantly threaten Great Britain’s forestry and timber industries, putting an estimated 725,000 hectares of spruce (an area the size of Cumbria), with a value of £2.9 billion, at risk of infestation and damage.
Continued vigilance is urged, however, following a new, very small finding that was identified in Lincolnshire in July, found as part of a continued surveillance programme.
Current evidence suggests outbreaks are the results from blow over of the pest from the European mainland, where it the beetle is endemic. There is no evidence of spread – or of impacts on healthy spruce – in the UK. Landowners and land managers are being urged to report any sightings immediately.
