The Cantonal Public Institution for Protected Natural Areas is continuously implementing necessary measures to protect forests from the harmful effects of the spruce bark beetle. In addition to regulating and capturing the beetles using pheromone traps, the Institution’s staff – supported by forestry expert Prof. Dr. Osman Mujezinović from the Faculty of Forestry – are currently using the “trap tree” method at Bijambare to further reduce the number of pests and minimize the damage they cause in forest stands.
Around 30 wind-thrown spruce trees have been selected as trap trees, thoroughly inspected, and monitored for beetle development. This allows for timely debarking and burning of the infected material (bark), thus reducing the pest population.
This is a highly demanding pest control method that requires a large number of workers for debarking the trees, as well as constant monitoring of the beetle’s life stages by forestry experts to ensure timely intervention and effective eradication.