Eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus)

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Landowners should continue to check the health of spruce trees on their land, identifying stressed, fallen, and snapped trees, and taking action to remove them and any surrounding susceptible material.

The video, Beat the Beetle, explains the threat of Ips typographus on spruce trees, and gives advice on how woodland owners can help reduce the risk from this pest.

Watch the video: Beat the Beetle.

Overview

The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle 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.

Identification and symptoms

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

Female beetles 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. Look for this symptom in any susceptible material, such as dead trees.

The beetle prefers stressed or weakened trees, for example 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.

Look for standing individual and groups of dead trees. This happens 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.

Report sightings

If you think you have spotted signs of this beetle anywhere in Great Britain, tell us using Tree Alert.

You can also submit a tree alert if your spruce woodland is exhibiting signs of decline or stress. We may follow up with an inspection.

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

Restrictions and prohibitions in 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 introduced a notice to demarcate an area around the confirmed outbreak sites. This is to restrict:

• the planting of spruce trees
• the felling, stacking, movement and processing of spruce material
• methods of forest operations

You can view all the areas in the Ips demarcated area map (PDF, 3.08 MB, 1 page).

The demarcated area covers parts of:

• Lincolnshire
• Bedfordshire
• Cambridgeshire
• Norfolk
• Suffolk
• Hampshire
• Berkshire
• Buckinghamshire
• Hertfordshire
• Surrey
• City and County of London
• Greater London
• East Sussex
• West Sussex
• Kent and Essex

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. Dietr over 3 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 A. Dietr) material with bark (for example, wood with bark, isolated bark, live trees over 3 metres) that has originated within the demarcated area.

(v) Prohibition on planting spruce (Picea A. Dietr) within the demarcated area, unless exempt as detailed within the notice, or authorised by either the Forestry Commission or the Animal and Plant Health Agency. This prohibition applies to any trees grown in the ground or within planting containers.

Planting of spruce

There is a prohibition in place on the planting of spruce trees within the demarcated area, as introduced in Notice 7 (2024) (PDF, 1.24 MB, 5 pages). This applies to all landowners, land managers and professional operators.

Exemptions are in place for planting dwarf varieties of spruce and planting spruce for:

• ornamental or scientific purposes
• trade at nursery sites
• the Christmas tree trade

See the quick guide on exemptions on planting spruce trees in the demarcated area.

Authorisations for planting of spruce within the demarcated area, outside of those situations already exempt within the Notice 7 (2024), will be granted on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to conditions set out by the Forestry Commission. Contact us to check eligibility for authorisations before applying.

Felling of spruce and movement of timber

There are restrictions in place on the felling of spruce trees, the movement of spruce timber and leaving spruce material on site (timber stacking) in the demarcated area.

No spruce harvesting residue greater than 8cm diameter can be left on site within the demarcated area following felling operations, unless authorisation to stack this material has been granted.

Watch the video: movement restrictions of spruce trees.

Refer to the visual guidance on the movement restrictions of spruce material within the demarcated area.

Provision is made to enable plant health inspectors to authorise movements and processing of spruce material with bark from the demarcated area where this can be achieved without risking the spread of Ips typographus.

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

Read more about when you need plant passports.

Stacking timber

Authorisation is needed before adopting any approach of timber stacking.

Landowners or managers felling spruce and looking to stack timber in situ to season (dry out), must apply for authorisation 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.

Export guidelines

Read guidance on exporting wood and wood products to the EU (and rest of the world).

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

Any movement of spruce from within the demarcated area to a point of export must be authorised by the Forestry Commission, and any point of despatch requires authorisation by the Forestry Commission as a place to receive and process material.

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

Restocking guidelines

Landowners should remove susceptible spruce (stressed, windblown) from the Ips typographus demarcated area within the South East and replant with other species.

Funding is available through the Tree Healthhealth Pilotpilot for landowners to fell and restock woodlands in the Ips typographus demarcated area.

Read the restocking guide following the removal of spruce trees within the Ips typographus demarcated area. This guide explains 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 guide also includes requirements across different sites including:

• Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites
• designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest
• Special Protection Areas
• Special Areas of Conservation
• and other protected landscapes, for example national parks

Find out what happens if you’re issued with a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN).

Guidance for alternative species to planting spruce

The UK Forestry Standard 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.

Choosing the right species

The soil where spruce has been planted will be good for a wide range of other tree species. It is essential that a soil survey is conducted to ‘ground-truth’ a site, and that current and future climate is considered.

Good ‘spruce sites’ in the South East are potentially suited to:

• pedunculate oak
• Douglas fir
• many pines

Alkaline soils would suit:

• hornbeam
• Norway maple
• sycamore
• Italian alder
• Atlas cedar

Moister soils would suit:

• most firs
• common alder
• aspen
• coast and giant redwood

If land managers continue growing non-native species on Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites, 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.

Tree Healthhealth Pilotpilot scheme funding and support

Landowners and managers in the demarcated area may qualify for support to fell and restock woodlands under the Tree Healthhealth Pilotpilot scheme.

Check the proactive spruce removal map (PDF, 1.54 MB, 1 page) to see if your site is within the area eligible for funding.

Read the Tree Healthhealth Pilotpilot case studies to hear about the proactive management of spruce within the Ips typographus demarcated area.

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

See detailed information about this pest on the Forest Research website.

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