We have had to remove one of our specimen trees at Reed due to an infestation of the Great Spruce Bark Beetle. Due to the nature of the infestation – which in itself has nearly killed the tree – and the risk posed to other trees in the area, we have taken the decision to fell and burn on site.
We are hopeful we will be able to gather some propagation material from the tree and grow this on to provide a genetic twin of this tree, with a view to planting it in the same place.
We will be watching other vulnerable trees closely for any other attacks. If detected early, infestations can be treated with biological controls which help reduce tree mortality.