Forest director Dr. Bauer: Last call against the bark beetle!

Forest director Dr. Bauer: Last call against the bark beetle!

Cham, Deutschland - A look at the developments in the Cham district shows that forest director Dr. Arthur Bauer on Saturday, July 19, 2025, after 17 years as Head of Forestry at the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (Aelf) Cham retired. During a last conversation in the Plenterwald on the Höllhöhe, he gave insights into his plans for the future. Dr. Bauer contributed a lot to improve the forests in the district during his tenure and is particularly known for his committed work.

before Dr. Bauer withdraws, he has an urgent concern: the first swarming flight of the bark beetles is imminent, and the forest owners in the district are required to control their forests. In a recent campaign, he and the AELF appeals to the forest owners to take care of the processing of snowbruch and storm damage from last winter. These damage, especially in the spruce stocks, have not yet been removed everywhere and offer bark beetles ideal breeding conditions. Regions such as Traitsching, Schorndorf, Falkenstein, Pemfling, Rötz and Schönthal are particularly affected. Mittelbayerische reports on the challenges that the forest owners are in front of.

dangers from bark beetle

The dangers of the bark beetle should not be underestimated. Current information makes it clear that the populations of the pests have increased significantly in recent years due to drought and heat. Dr. Bauer warns: "An infestation from a single tree can quickly make 20 more trees infectious." With a potential increase to 60 million bark beetles within a year, which can affect up to 8000 spruces, quick action is required. The development of the beetles can only take six to eight weeks from an egg to the adult pest.

The experts recommend regularly checking the needle forests, at least every four weeks between April 1 and September 30th. "Rott tones in the tree tops or sloping barks are clear signs of an infestation," explains Dr. Bauer. If an infestation has been found, it is advisable to prepare the infested wood promptly or to store at least 500 meters from other needle-mixed forests to prevent uncontrolled spread. Another risk is threatened by the possibility of a replacement by the district office if forest owners do not meet this obligation - this could cause additional costs.

The legacy of Dr. Arthur Bauer

During the farewell of Dr. Bauer is imminent, his commitment in forest management remains of central importance. The contacts with the offices for nutrition, agriculture and forestry he provided are also available after his retirement announcement to support and advise forest owners. Information can also be viewed online in order to achieve as many forest owners as possible.

dr. Arthur Bauer significantly shaped the district of Cham during his tenure. His diverse initiatives and tireless efforts for the domestic forests are valued by many and are remembered, even after he has left his obligations behind. Let's wait and see how the situation around the bark beetle development will develop in the coming weeks and what steps to preserve the forest resources must be taken.