Together against the bark beetle in the district of Freising: sticking together is the top priority in the forest

Created: 06/17/2022, 05:00 p.m

By: Andrea Beschorner

In search of the pest: Josef Haller, Hanna Reuther (bark beetle expert at the Office for Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry) and Michael Matuschek, District Manager Freising North, went on a search for bark beetles in the Kirchdorf community forest in Hirschbach.

© Lehmann

In the fight against bark beetles, speed is essential.

The experts in the circle emphasize: No forest owner is left alone.

Kirchdorf

– A watchful eye has been essential for weeks when Josef Haller goes into the forest.

In order to keep the bark beetle from spreading in check, you have to track it down as early as possible – and of course spend a lot of time in the forest to do so.

During a forest inspection in Hirschbach (Kirchdorf municipality), the farmer and forester Josef Haller, who has been responsible for the Kirchdorf municipal forest since 1993, together with forester Michael Matuschek from the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry, District Manager Freising North, show what is important on the spot.

forest conversion

Brown flour, a bit reminiscent of snuff, is the first sure sign that the bark beetle has struck.

"We had a bad infestation back there in 2020, so of course I look there first," says Josef Haller.

The end of April is the time when forest owners have to be particularly vigilant.

Since the bark beetle only affects spruce, climate-tolerant mixed forests with many different tree species are the goal in the fight against the uninvited guest, explains Matuschek.

This is the best way to counteract a mass increase in bark beetles.

However, converting a forest from a spruce monoculture to a mixed forest is not something that happens overnight.

Why are there so many pure spruce forests?

Or rather: did they exist – because the changeover is already in the middle of it.

Haller: The spruce is a tree species that is easy to treat and not susceptible to deer biting.

And since the focus was on yield for many years, Haller explains, the decision was often made to use spruce.

During the information walk through the forest, Haller and Matuschek point to many small oak trees that are just about to grow taller.

In another area of ​​the forest, rowan and beech can be found, as well as Douglas fir, fir and many other tree species.

The former spruce forest in Hirschbach is now becoming a beautiful mixed forest.

However, what later brings advantages - climate-resistant, less susceptible to pests, more resistant to storm damage, etc. - means a lot of work.

According to Haller, you have to be around five years old for young trees, you have to “be behind them”, as he puts it.

Many young trees do not grow in open spaces, but need a roof from old stock, as the experts explain.

For this reason alone, old spruces are absolutely worthy of protection,

be vigilant

But back to the “ticking time bombs”, as the bark beetle is often called.

"We absolutely have to find out quickly where it has burrowed in, the tree then has to get out of the forest immediately," says Matuschek.

In principle, every forest owner is responsible for himself.

But because time is the biggest enemy when it comes to bark beetle infestation, the top priority in the forest is to “stick together”, as Haller puts it.

Because, as the forester adds: "The beetle doesn't stop at the field boundary." And so it goes without saying for Haller to report it immediately to the owner if he has spotted an infestation in someone else's forest.

When fighting the pest, try to use as few insecticides as possible.

What also works - if you only track him down early and remove the infested trees quickly.

Anyone who does not know how to help themselves because, as a forest owner, they are no longer physically able to do so or cannot take on the work for other reasons, can contact the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry, which then becomes part of the Forest Owners' Association or to conveyed to the machine ring.

"This works well in 97 percent of all cases," says Matuschek.

Active countermeasures, as is happening in this country, prevent large areas of bare forest.

"If you're not behind it, it can happen very quickly, as you can see in Hesse or North Rhine-Westphalia," reports Matuschek.

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Lots of spawning material

What really promoted the bark beetle: the storm Sabine in 2020, because a lot of breeding material accumulated at that time.

Yes, luck in disguise: many forest owners were shaken up at the time, planted many young trees and have since been in the forest again to take care of the new plantings.

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Hunting is also essential for a healthy forest.

Adapted game stocks are urgently needed in order to grow the small trees without fences and other protection, because: "Too many deer bite the trees."

Exactly what loss of quality a bark beetle infestation means for the wood depends on “how fast you are.

If an infested tree stands for a long time, the wood turns blue.” In the worst case, it can only be made into wood chips.

The reasons

According to the forest experts, the reasons for the bark beetle infestation, which has been increasing for years, also lie in global warming.

Due to the long dry periods, the forest is not doing well.

"The trees multiply exactly when they are doing badly, so they try to rejuvenate themselves," explains Matuschek - keyword: fear bloom or emergency fructification.

That is why spruce forests no longer bloom every four to seven years, but sometimes every year.

The problem: when the trees bloom, they do not produce any resin in order to save energy in this way - but without resin the trees are defenseless against the beetles.

Matuschek still has one topic that is particularly close to his heart: road building.

"It's extremely important.

Wood must be able to be transported easily.” But not only that: the fire brigade and rescue services also urgently need to be able to drive unhindered into the forest if something happens.

And there is still a lot to do in this area.

You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.

Good to know

Tips for forest owners, including recommendations for action on how to proceed when searching for drill dust, can be found at https://www.lwf.bayern.de/waldschutz/monitoring/301979/index.php on the website of the State Forestry Agency.

An interactive risk map for Bavaria can also be found here.