Experts say the worsening situation is due to hot and dry weather as well as storms that have weakened the trees, leaving them susceptible to attack by the beetle which prefers dead wood for breeding.
The institute says it might take some time for the situation to improve as climatic conditions have allowed the beetle to develop up to three generations.
Forestry experts recommend removing damaged and beetle-affected trees as soon as possible to limit the spread of the bark beetle.
Spruce makes up around a third of the growing stock in Switzerland. It is the most important timber tree in the country and spruce forests often have a protective function in the mountains.
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Bark beetle continues its march in Switzerland
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Scientists are sounding the alarm after the bark beetle damaged 320,000 cubic metres of spruce in 2017 – 3-4 times more than in the period 2008-2012.
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In autumn, Switzerland’s beech trees are aflame with red leaves. However, they struggle with the higher temperatures that come with climate change.
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Federal engineers are preparing for forests in the year 2080, by which point temperatures will have risen by four degrees Celsius.
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