A skilful pest: the bark beetle

Bark beetles are a large family of insects known as Coleoptera, which can grow to between 4 and 6 mm in length. Naturally present throughout Europe, they are one of the most important pests of softwood forests, and more specifically of the spruce forest. Bark beetles are specific to a particular wood type. The spruce type is known as the typographer and the chalcographer, and the Scots pine as the stenographer. The bark beetle burrows under the bark, blocking the flow of sap and causing the softwood to dry out. In the Grand Est and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions, around 10 million m3 of wood were infected between September 2018 and the end of 2020, according to the ONF (National Forest Office). Climate change and periods of drought are weakening trees' defences and encouraging the pests to spread.