The drought in 2018 has greatly benefited the spruce bark drill which has multiplied its population. Forests are being harvested in several parts of the country to stop the beetle. Västerås is one of the municipalities that have been affected and now they will cut down damaged forest even there.
- We will cut down on the places we identified where the trees affect people. It is not possible to leave these fir trees and rest with regard to safety, the municipality has a great responsibility, says forest inspector Mårten Gustavsson at Mellanskog.
Within a month, the spruces in Dingtuna will begin to be removed. In the autumn and winter, the idea is to cut down the attacked and damaged forest also at Bäckby, Eriksborg and Björnön. On Björnön, there are just over 1,000 trees to be removed, but it is a preliminary figure that can change depending on when the frost comes.
- It will not be cold, but it will be noticed and there will be gaps, says Mårten Gustavsson.
The hope is to be able to replace the fir trees by pushing up other trees such as oak, rowan and birch.