THE eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle has been confirmed in East Anglia for the first time. 

Forestry officials say Ips typographus was recently sighted in the county, but insist "rapid eradication measures" are now in place. 

Having previously been confirmed in the likes of Kent and East Sussex (as well as a one-off case in Scotland), the latest discovery suggests the pest, which poses a particular threat to spruce trees, is moving further north. 

While limited details have been released on the find, Forestry Commission spokesperson Andrea Deol said: “We can confirm that Ips typographus has recently been reported to the Forestry Commission in East Anglia.

“We are conducting a swift investigation including rapid eradication measures, alongside wider environment surveillance to determine the scale of the issue and identify additional suitable management actions." 

Andrea added: “All landowners, managers and timber processors should remain vigilant for Ips typographus.

Forestry Journal: The most recently published demarcated area and confirmed English outbreaks. The East Anglia find is understood to be the furthest north in England The most recently published demarcated area and confirmed English outbreaks. The East Anglia find is understood to be the furthest north in England (Image: FC)

"It is important for landowners to continue to check the health of Spruce trees on their land, especially as temperatures rise and we enter the next flight season.”

In England established breeding populations of Ips have been found since 2018. The first was in Kent, with subsequent findings in East and West Sussex and then Surrey, with over 40 outbreaks reported by August 2023 and apparently all on Norway spruce. This species is particularly prominent in East Anglia. 

While the arrival of Ips in the UK has officially been blamed on "natural dispersal (blow over)" from the continent, this theory has been disputed by some in forestry due to the distance the pest would need to have travelled. 

Ips remains one of the biggest threats in forestry and has devastated spruce trees across Europe, with Scandinavia, France, and Germany among the worst hit.