Spruce bark beetle catches rise 30 percent in Lithuania

Spruce bark beetle catches in Lithuania are about 30 percent higher than last year, with the largest number recorded in the Žemaitija region, LRT reported, citing the State Forest Service.

More than twice as many beetles were caught in spruce stands in Žemaitija in August than during the same period last year.

The State Forest Service said the intense beetle activity was most likely caused by the particularly rainy weather that prevailed for much of the summer. “Unfavourable weather conditions restricted the beetles’ flight, so some of their activity shifted to a later period,” the service said.

The largest number of beetles so far has been recorded in southern central Lithuania. More than 20,000 beetles were caught on average in a single trap in the Josvainiai, Dubrava and Punia forestry districts.

The lowest numbers, several thousand beetles per trap, were recorded in the Grūšlaukė, Varniai and Užventis forestry districts in western Lithuania.

Although this year’s monitoring has not yet been completed, the State Forest Service said it did not currently expect damage from the beetles to reach the level of a natural disaster. No mass breeding hotspots have been recorded so far, it added.

However, the high number of beetles recorded this year means that parts of Lithuania face an increased risk of mass breeding hotspots forming in spring 2027. The service recommended continuing to monitor the condition of spruce stands and identifying new damage in time.