Science – Hamburg – Bark beetles do almost no harm in Hamburg – Knowledge

Hamburg (dpa/lno) – While the bark beetle causes massive damage in some forest areas in Germany, in Hamburg it has so far been seen with difficulty. “According to the responses received from the provinces, there have been only marginal incidents of bark beetle in the recent past,” a spokesperson for the Environment Agency told dpa in Hamburg. Therefore, the harm is also limited. A spokesman for the authorities said: “In recent years, there have been frequent cases of bark beetle infestations in the Hamburg forest, often as secondary pests as a result of ‘drought periods’.”

Experts are currently concerned that a new wave of bark beetles could be heading towards German forests due to the mild winters. In Germany, the low mountain ranges are particularly affected by the bark beetle.

At the same time, a lot is being done in the Hanseatic city to control pests. The first preventive measure is the long-term conversion of the forest into resistant mixed stands – that is, a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees. In Hamburg city forest areas, widespread bark beetle infestations are being counteracted by forest conversion carried out for more than 40 years of remaining fir stands to deciduous wood stands.

In addition, the forests are checked regularly – especially in the case of known beetle nests or endangered stocks. “Infested trees or beetle nests—that is, many infected trees—are felled and peeled so that the brood and larvae dry in the bark or removed from the forest before the young beetles leave the forest.”

According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are about 4,270 hectares of forest in Hamburg. Thus, the forest holds a share of 5.7 percent of the land area of ​​the Hanseatic city.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 230704-99-281713/2