According to the Finnish Forestry Center, forest owners should be prepared for an increase in woodpecker damage in risk areas.
The number of typewriter pests has increased in Finnish forests, says the Finnish Forestry Center. The bookworm is the worst pest of spruce trees, and its population increases as the summer heats up.
By the beginning of November, the Metsäkeskus has received reports of insect-killing logging from a total of approximately 3,400 hectares. Compared to the previous year, the number is more than triple.
The most logging notifications have come from Southeastern Finland, Kymenlaakso and South Karelia, and Uusimaa. The number of notifications has also increased in Central Finland and Southern and Northern Savo.
In addition to bookworms, the logging also involves damage caused by other pests such as the spruce star beetle.
Observing spruce trees once a summer is no longer enough
According to the Finnish Forestry Center, forest owners should be prepared for an increase in woodpecker damage in risk areas.
– You have to learn to recognize incipient insect infestations and potential risk spots in time. If you notice signs of destruction, you should act quickly to prevent the destruction from spreading in the forests. You can get help and advice from forest professionals, says Kokkonen.
According to Metsäkeskus, the long-term heat of recent summers has accelerated the growth of the letterpress beetle population that destroys spruce trees.
This year, the first generation of the letterpress developed even earlier during the early and mid-summer. It is likely that the second generation of the bookworm had time to grow up and fall to the ground to winter in many places in southern and southeastern Finland.