Spruce attacked by pests

Which pests attack spruce trees?

Spruce trees have very special enemies: Bark beetle, Spruce gall louse and sitka spruce louse. An infestation must always be taken very seriously, because the neighboring trees are also quickly affected. In addition, the chance of saving your spruce is only given at the beginning of an infestation.

Possible pests in the spruce:

• Bark beetles, especially book printers and engravers
• Spruce gall louse
• Sitka spruce louse or tube spruce louse

How do I recognize a pest infestation?

You can recognize an infestation with the Sitka spruce louse, also known as the spruce louse, with the so-called knocking test. Hold a white cloth under a branch and tap it. The lice, if present, then fall clearly visible on the cloth. Now act quickly, otherwise yours will go Spruce a.

You will rarely see bark beetles on your spruce, but you will see the traces of the voracious creatures. The first signs are small brown piles of dust at the foot of the tree, so-called drill dust. Then take a closer look at the spruce, you might also discover the drill holes. However, these are mostly in the upper area of ​​the crown.

You can recognize the spruce gall louse by the small galls that the louse deposits on the spruce. They are only about five millimeters tall and look like a pineapple.
If the needles of the spruce brown or if they fall off, then it is almost too late for help.

What can I do against pests?

If the sitka spruce louse or the bark beetle are heavily infested, there is usually nothing you can do to save the tree. It should be felled so that the pests cannot spread to other trees. The same applies to an infestation with bark beetles. Spraying agents containing paraffin oil help against the spruce gall louse.