Eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus)

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Overview

The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is considered a serious pest on spruce in Europe and has recently been found in the wider environment in England as part of routine plant health surveillance activity.

The beetle is mainly a secondary pest, preferring stressed or weakened trees. However, under the right environmental conditions, beetle numbers can increase enough to result in attacks on healthy trees.

If left uncontrolled, the beetle, in association with pathogenic fungi (particularly the blue stain fungus Endoconidiophora polonica), has the potential to cause significant damage to Britain’s spruce-based forestry and timber industries.

There is no evidence that Ips typographus is spreading in England - the latest establishments are likely to have come directly from the continent and are not related to the original 2018 finding.

Symptoms

Adult beetles are dormant and hibernate over winter under the bark of trees, logs and leaf litter. They then re-emerge in spring, when the temperature rises above 20°C.

The beetle prefers stressed or weakened trees e.g. windblown, damaged and recently felled spruce trees, where, under the right environmental conditions, beetle numbers can increase. Inspection of trees in this category should be a priority.

Also look for standing individual and groups of dead trees. This arises when the beetles ‘mass attack’ trees, overcoming the trees’ usual defences by a combination of large numbers and blue stain fungus carried by adult beetles. Under the right environmental conditions, this phase can lead to extensive tree deaths.

Adult females lay eggs along a linear gallery system from which larval galleries radiate, becoming wider as the larvae grow. The pattern shows in the bark and in the surface of the wood, and is unique to Ips typographus. This symptom should be looked for in any dead trees, whether standing or fallen.

Reporting sightings

Please remain vigilant for signs of Ips typographus. If you think you have spotted signs of this beetle anywhere in Great Britain then please tell us using our Tree Alert form. You can also submit a tree alert form if your spruce woodland is exhibiting signs of decline or stress, and we may arrange for a follow up inspection.

Report suspected sightings in Northern Ireland using Treecheck, the all-Ireland tree pest reporting tool.

FellingRestrictions and movementprohibitions restrictionsin the demarcated area

To protect the country against this pest, under powers conferred by The Official Controls (Plant Health and Genetically Modified Organisms) (England) Regulations 2019, the Forestry Commission has introduced a Noticenotice to demarcate an area around the confirmed outbreak sitessites. restrictingThis is to restrict:

• the planting of spruce trees
• the felling, stacking and movement of spruce material
• the movement and methods of forest operations.
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The demarcated area hascovers been extended to cover parts of Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, of:

• Lincolnshire
• Bedfordshire
• Cambridgeshire
• Norfolk and
• Suffolk in addition to parts of Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey,
• Hampshire
• Berkshire
• Buckinghamshire
• Hertfordshire
• Surrey
• City and County of the City of London, London
• Greater London, London
• East Sussex, Sussex
• West Sussex, Sussex
• Kent and Essex

All withinareas theare boundaries shown in the  Ips Demarcated Area (PDF, 3.08 MB, 1 page) and within the  Notice 7 (2024) (PDF, 1.271.24 MB, 45 pages), which also contains a description of the boundary.

Notice 7 (2024) includes the following conditions:

(i) Restrictions on the felling of susceptible material without prior notification. Landowners must provide notice of their intention to fell relevant material at least 14 days in advance of any felling in the demarcated areas. Felling may only commence once written authorisation is provided the Forestry Commission.

(ii) Restrictions on the killing of trees (either by ring-barking, chemical injection or application, mechanical means, biological control or arboricultural intervention) of the genus Picea A. DietreDietr over three3 meters in height, without prior notification. All operations must be agreed in writing by the Forestry Commission.

(iii) Prohibition on susceptible material being left in situ, unless authorised in writing by a plant health inspector.

(iv) Prohibition on the movement of spruce (Picea)(Picea A. Dietr) material with bark (for example, wood with bark, isolated bark, live trees over 3 metres) that has originated within the demarcated area.

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Authorisations for planting of spruce within the demarcated area, mayoutside onlyof those situations already exempt within the Notice 7 (2024), will be undertakengranted aton premisesa authorisedcase-by-case basis and will be subject to conditions set out by the Forestry Commission. Contact the Forestry Commission to receivecheck thiseligibility material.for authorisations before applying.

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Non-spruce conifer timber that is bark-free is not subject to the same movement restrictions, so it can be moved and processed without need for inspection or authorisation.

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Christmas trees

If you trade in Christmas trees please read the following information.

Spruce Christmas trees are considered low risk to Ips typographus as the majority will be small and healthy trees. Ips typographus prefers to infest dying and stressed spruce trees larger than 3m tall.

However, precautions are in place in the demarcated area around the Ips typographus outbreak sites, in South East England, for spruce Christmas trees 3 metres in height or more.

Felling and moving spruce Christmas trees grown within the demarcated area

Movement of spruce Christmas trees over 3 metres in height must be authorised by a professionalForestry operatorCommission Plant Health Inspector. The demarcated area was expanded in June 2024, please check the  Ips Demarcated Area (PDF, 3.08 MB, 1 page) map.

The material will be assessed and may be subject to tradeinspection before harvest and dispatch and its movement must adhere to conditions set out in wood,an issueauthorisation letter provided by a Forestry Commission Plant Health Inspector.

Moving Christmas trees grown outside of the demarcated area

Outside the demarcated area, you must use a plant passportspassport if you want to move Christmas trees over 3 metres in height within Great Britain. This relates to spruce and non-spruce varieties and includes foliage taken from conifer trees over 3 metres tall.

Stacking timber

All landowners or managers felling spruce in the Ips typographus demarcated area, and looking to stack timber in situ to season (dry out), must follow the authorisation process.

Authorisation is needed before adopting any approach of timber stacking.

You can apply ISPM15for markingauthorisation to stack timber in the Ips typographus demarcated area.

Processing timber

Processing of spruce material that originated in the demarcated area must only take place at premises authorised by the Forestry Commission to receive this material.

Authorisations to process spruce material can be requested with the forms:

• Application to receive and process Spruce V1 (PDF, 176 KB, 1 page)
• Authorisation to process Spruce V1 (PDF, 198 KB, 4 pages)

Export guidelines

Guidance on exporting wood and wood products to the EU (and rest of the world) can be found on: Export wood, wood products and bark from Great Britain.

No phytosanitary export certificate is required for exporting to countries in the EU that don’t have a pest free areas status for Ips typographus.

Any movement of spruce from within the Demarcated Area to a point of export must still to be authorised by the Forestry Commission, and any point of despatch would also require authorisation by the Forestry Commission as a place to receive and process material.

For authorisations, contact ipstypographus.authorisation@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

Restocking guidelines

OverWe theencourage next 10 years (2024 to 2034), the Forestry Commission is encouraging landowners to remove susceptible spruce (stressed, windblown) from the Ips typographus demarcated area within the South East and replant with other species.

Funding Support is available through the Tree Health Pilot,Pilot whichfor provideslandowners fundingto forfell landownersand whorestock arewoodlands eligiblein tothe facilitateIps thistypographus objective.demarcated area.

Guidance is available on restocking woodlands following the removal of spruce trees within the Ips typographus demarcated area. This includes what is permissible under both legal requirements and in grant funded situations when spruce trees are felled under Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) and in proactively felled high-risk areas.

The guidance also includes a breakdown of requirements across different sites including including:

• Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS), (PAWS)
• designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), (SSSI)
• Special Protection Areas (SPAs), (SPAs)
• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)
• and other protected landscapeslandscapes, (e.g.for example national parks). parks

Read the Ips typographus: restocking guidance.

Guidance for alternative species to planting spruce

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) expects any species to protect and enhance the features of a site. Tree species need to reflect the soils and climate of the site. Use of an inappropriate native species could do more harm than a non-native, that was well suited to the ecology of a site.

Landowners should consider which tree species are most resilient to any pests and diseases that may be prevalent in the area, and resilient to the impacts of climate change, including drought and windblow. You can get advice from your local Woodland Officer or professional forester. We recommend you use the Ecological Site Classification decision support tool to help choose species locally.

If land managers continue growing non-native species on Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS), then crops that cast a lighter shade are strongly encouraged. For example moving from spruce to pine, which generally have more open canopies. Dense regeneration of freely regenerating conifers that cast a heavy shade, such as western hemlock, should be prevented or controlled to avoid threatening ancient woodland components if they are currently present.

Forest Research has several tools to help advise you on restocking:

• Ecological Site Classification (ESC)
• Tree species database
• Climate matching tool
• Forest development types
• Climate Change Hub

Tree Health Pilot scheme

Landowners and managers in the Ips Demarcated Area (PDF, 3.08 MB, 1 page) may qualify for support to fell and restock woodlands under the Tree Health Pilot scheme.

Read the Tree Health Pilot case studies for the proactive management of spruce within the Ips typographus demarcated area, supported by the Tree Health Pilot.

See the Proactive Spruce Removal Map (PDF, 1.54 MB, 1 page) within the Ips typographus demarcated area, which is eligible for Tree Health Pilot funding on the Proactive Spruce Removal Area map 2024.funding.

Contingency plan

The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) – contingency plan is under review. Visit the plant health portal contingency plans for more information.

Further information

You can find more-detailedmore detailed information about this pest on the Forest Research website.

YouSign can also sign up thefor Forestry Commission eAlerteAlerts providingto get the latest informationnews on tree pests and diseasediseases, and grants/fundinginformation support.on Signgrants upand now.funding.