Experts: Bark beetle infestations to get worse

Bark beetle infestations in the Czech Republic are likely to get worse, experts from the Czech Agricultural University said at a news conference. In a report, the scientists said that such infestations have been isolated in the past but would appear in synchronized form on large territories in the future.

The university’s Tomáš Hlásny said intervention would need to be targeted at areas where it could prove effective. In some places harvesting infected trees is not economically efficient, he said.

Seven of the country’s 14 regions are currently suffering infestations. The problem was at its highest level in two centuries last year.

Author: Ian Willoughby