drought and bark beetles threaten the forest

Ravaged by the flames, and eaten away from within. In the bark of these trees, a pest lurks. “It’s a race against time, in relation to the health risk”, says Loïc Cotten, forester. The latter must cut down 150 hectares of pines, infested with the bark beetle. Tracked by these agents, this beetle of a few millimeters digs galleries, prevents the circulation of the sap, fatal damage for the trees. “The piles of wood must be evacuated within a strict period of four weeks, before the bark beetles can come out”says Sygrid Launes, head of the DRAAF Forest Health department.

The silviculturists of the sector are involved

An endemic species, the bark beetle has multiplied since the fires last summer. In the south of the Gironde, pheromone traps are deployed to scrutinize the evolution of the insect. To stem the crisis, all foresters in the sector are being called upon. Thanks to a mobile application, they can report the presence of the bark beetle in one click. Heat and drought favor the development of the parasite.