The Bark Side

The majority of trees in German forests are spruce, which is particularly susceptible to the bark beetle. Often, detection occurs only when the beetles' activities have punctured the bark in a myriad of small holes and piles of frass surround the ground.

Adult Bark Beetles first bore into a tree and lay their eggs in the phloem of the tree. This usually occurs in mid to late summer. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae then live in the tree, feeding on the living tissues below the bark, often leading to the death of the tree if enough larvae are present.

This May The Fourth (an informal global commemorative day observed annually to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise), we wanted to use the opportunity to remind people that even if we cannot see them, they are there, having offspring by thousands, and making the trees in the German forests weak and sick.