Latin: Scolytinae
When you spend time in the Danish nature, you will no doubt encounter the small bark beetle that lives in wood and under the bark of trees. The bark beetles are usually divided into two different categories, determined by their way of attacking the tree.
One type of beetle lives exclusively between the bark layer and the splinter, while the other category covers the beetles that gnaw into the splinter itself and make passages. The bark beetles that drill into the splinter itself are also called ambrosia beetles or woody bark beetles. The bark beetle also goes by its Latin name Scolytinae.
Appearance
The bark beetles are small and grow between 2 and 8 millimeters long. The beetles have a cylindrical shape and are brown. On the frontal part, the bark beetles’ sensory horn is placed in a bent angle to the head.
While the fully grown bark beetles are dark brown or black, the larvae have a less noticeable color. They are pale and are also curved and boneless.
Biology and behavior
In the warm spring months, bark beetles explore the forest, looking for chopped trees or trees that are otherwise weakened. These trees form the perfect basis for the bark beetle which can gnaw into the bark of the tree.
The bark is also important for the further reproduction of the bark beetle. After mating, the female will dig herself in between the back through a passage – called the mother passage – where she lays her eggs. These eggs are laid in small dents and pits in the passage. Once the eggs have hatched, the larvae take over the work themselves. The larvae gnaw their own small passages from the mother passage.
The small bark beetle larvae live mostly on the liquid that comes from the tree and which leaks into the passages. This is a real meal for the larvae, as the liquid is quite sugary and starchy.
The bark beetles are not picky when it comes to choosing wood. And they like to attack deciduous trees as well as conifers. In imported woods of a tropical nature, one can even find traces of the woody bark beetle.
Damage
A visit from the bark beetle leaves visible traces on the tree. When the bark is removed, the work of the bark beetles comes to light and reveals small gait systems that form a decorative pattern in the entire growth layer of the tree. And if the woody beetle has been at stake in the tree, the corridors are clearly visible due to the dark dead fungal threads that have been left behind.
It is also these clear traces that make the bark beetle an annoying pest in the forest. The many-bark beetle can often ruin not only the value of the wood, but also its uses. Therefore, the infested wood cannot be used in places where water infiltration is a risk factor.
The bark beetles are preferably a nuisance outdoors and fortunately cannot do great damage indoors. They can neither damage the woodwork in the house nor in any other way constitute a damage in our home. However, they may appear in firewood picked up inside. But fortunately, it is not a danger to houses or furniture.
Prevention and pest control
Bark beetles can be a serious pest. But luckily, it’s easy to fight them. The bark beetles die automatically during the processing of the wood when it is debarked, dried and cut.
Since bark beetles can stay in firewood, there may be a risk of taking them indoors if you store your firewood indoors. If they are a nuisance, the tree should be left outdoors. But with a thorough round of vacuuming, it is easy to get rid of any hatched bark beetles in the household.
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