The forest owners are urged by the Swedish Forest Agency to look for new attacks on spruce bark throughout the summer. In the letter, forest owners are asked to check their forest at least every four weeks throughout the summer.

- If new attacks are found in good time, the damage can be limited and the value of the wood can be saved, says Johanna From, Regional Manager at the Swedish Forest Agency.

The risk maps are made to forest owners in Götaland and Svealand. Even those who own relatively little forest in risk areas receive the mailing.

- All efforts are important in the fight against the spruce bark drill, which is why it is important that everyone, no matter how much forest one has, look for and correct any attacks, says Johanna From.

But the mailing does not reach everyone with a risk of injury and all properties are not visible on the paper printout.

- It is therefore important that all forest owners, whether you receive a letter or not, regularly check their forest.

Also in protected areas

Due to the widespread problems with spruce bark drill in especially southern and central parts of the country, the National Forest Agency has more than tripled the scope of efforts against spruce bark drill in formally protected areas in 2020.

Now, the Swedish Forest Agency is also making a greater effort than ever before in Sweden's protected forests, to limit the attacks on spruce bark drills.

Barking or felling of affected trees is done in many places in southern and central Sweden during June and July. These are areas where natural values ​​are linked to spruce that have been selected and, above all, the areas where infestation existed already the previous year.

"The attacks vary from a few occasional windfalls to hundreds of affected standing trees," says Johan Åberg, the Swedish Forest Agency's specialist in area protection.

Other rules than in production forest

In production forest, affected spruce should be felled and sown as soon as possible to save as much timber value as possible. But even in protected areas, the spruce bark drill may sometimes need to be combated to preserve the area's natural values. For example, in areas with old and often lime-rich spruce forests.

- In most cases, the fir trees that have been damaged for spruce bark drill are left on site to promote biodiversity, says Johan Åberg.

Nearly 3,000 traps have been released in more than 50 areas from northern Skåne to northern Uppland.