The bug has been warned about by the government.
British people have been advised to watch out for a harmful bug that could harm our beautiful trees.
The authorities have declared that in the southern regions of England and East Anglia, certain measures will be implemented to control and eliminate the pest.
Starting on June 12th, it will be prohibited to cut down or relocate spruce trees without permission from the Forestry Commission to prevent the spread of invasive insects.
The area where these limitations were enforced previously included Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, City of London, Greater London, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Essex, and Hampshire.
However, the expansion will now encompass Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
Watch out for this thing, they can f**k up a nation's timber industry. (Getty Stock Image)
Essentially, a large portion of southern England has restrictions on the transportation of wood, bark, and wood chips due to the potential presence of a harmful insect.
The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, also called the eight-toothed beetle, was first seen in Kent, UK in 2018.
These small pests usually attack stressed or dying trees, but occasionally they attack healthy wood and cause significant damage to the UK's timber industry.
They have the ability to journey up to half a mile in search of an appropriate tree to damage. Once they locate a target, they dig into the bark to construct tunnels and lay eggs.
They may later go to a different tree and repeat the process, and once the eggs hatch, the larvae feed while hidden under the bark.
These are eight-toothed spruced bark beetles, and they burrow into trees so they can devour them. (Getty Stock Image)
Spruce trees can be found in many parts of Europe, as well as some areas in Asia.
The adults reach a size of approximately 5mm, making it challenging to spot them. They harm the channels that trees use to carry water and nutrients.
This implies that a section of the tree may perish due to insufficient nutrients, and in certain instances, it can lead to the death of the entire tree.
Although they usually go after dead or dying trees, they can also move to healthy ones if there are a lot of them.
If you notice a tree with a brown top during an unusual time of year, it could mean that beetles are inside, causing damage that will eventually lead to the tree's death.
People who notice the indications of the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle should “stay alert” and are expected to sound the alarm.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
