About a year ago we noticed that a few of our sitka spruce [Picea sitchensis] were dying. After closer inspection and some research we identified the cause as being great spruce bark beetle. We then took advice from the forestry commission on immediate action. We were told to leave as many trees standing as possible and they would come down and survey the site with a view to releasing a predator beetle [Rhizophagus grandis] to combat the great spruce beetle [Dendroctonus micans]. These were released in June 2010 and we are hoping to see a decrease in the no’s of infected trees over the next two years.
In November we surveyed the lower woodland and identified 40 + trees to be removed. So while the lower woodland walk was still closed due to our new education centre building works, we took the opportunity to remove the dead or badly infected ones.
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