VerdeAI Oy – AI to support forestry
VerdeAI Oy's AI model identifies forest damage caused by the spruce bark beetle from drone images at an early stage — how the solution works and the background behind it.
Articles
Information about the spruce bark beetle and other damage risks to spruce forests: identification, control and impact on forestry.
Economic impact and trends of spruce bark beetle damage in Finland
Spruce bark beetle damage has increased in the 2020s and costs Finnish forestry €4.5–12 million a year. Here is how the damage and risks are distributed.
Controlling spruce bark beetle damage: identification and most effective methods
The spruce bark beetle cuts off a tree's fluid flows and can kill a spruce within a single growing season. Here is how to recognise the damage and control it most effectively.
What is the spruce bark beetle? Identify the most common spruce forest pest
The spruce bark beetle is a small bark beetle that, in large numbers, can cause extensive damage in spruce stands. Here is how it lives and reproduces, and how it is controlled.
Spruce bark beetle damage in the media
It is not only us talking about the problem – spruce bark beetle damage has also been widely discussed in the national media. A selection on the topic:
Helsingin Sanomat
Erkki Eteläaho on kärsinyt jo 20 000 euron tappiot kirjanpainajien takia (in Finnish)
Forest owner Erkki Eteläaho's story makes the financial impact of spruce bark beetle damage on a single property concrete – losses of €20,000 already.
Helsingin Sanomat
Hyönteinen tappaa puita kansallismaisemasta, eikä sille aiota tehdä mitään (in Finnish)
Spruce bark beetle damage has accelerated in the Koli national landscape since 2018, and according to a researcher the insect will keep ravaging the area for years to come.
Helsingin Sanomat
Keski-Euroopan kuusimetsät syönyttä tuholaista löytyi Suomesta ennätysmäärä hämmästyttävän pohjoisesta (in Finnish)
Climate warming has pushed the spruce bark beetle's range limit ever further north – even Central Finland is no longer safe.
Ilta-Sanomat
Tämä aiheuttaa metsänomistajille miljoonatappiot vuosittain – tuhot lisääntyneet (in Finnish)
Insect damage causes forest owners in Finland losses running into the millions every year, and as the climate warms the damage is expected to keep increasing.
Maaseudun Tulevaisuus
Kirjanpainajat tuhosivat tässä metsässä toissa kesänä 10, viime vuonna jo 500 kuusta – tuho jatkuu parhaillaan (in Finnish)
In a single forest, the number of spruce trees destroyed by spruce bark beetles grew from ten to five hundred within one year – a concrete example of how fast the damage spreads.