Ips typographus (the larger eight-toothed European spruce beetle)
27 September 2021
Update on recent outbreaks in Kent and East Sussex.
The larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is a destructive pest of spruce trees.
An outbreak was discovered in a woodland in Kent, in December 2018, and this was eradicated. Since 2018, the Forestry Commission has been conducting enhanced surveillance across the South East of England.
This year, several further outbreaks have been found in Kent and East Sussex.
This briefing updates members on the current situation, what Confor has been doing, and, what Forestry Commission and the Defra plant health team have been doing, to ensure that the current outbreaks are eradicated.