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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Drought leaves mark on Swiss trees
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As hot and dry 2018 comes to an end, the foliage seems more brilliant than ever. But how well equipped are Switzerland’s trees to survive droughts?
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The earth shook near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland on Monday afternoon with a magnitude of around 4.2 on the Richter scale.
Public transport in Geneva faces calls for overhaul
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Swiss politician who shot at baby Jesus risks fine
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The French-Swiss artist Saype has created a new giant painting on the summit of the Grand Chamossaire above Villars-sur-Ollon VD. The 2500 square metre work depicts a boy with a rucksack on his shoulders.
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A shooting range in Wittenbach, northeastern Switzerland, was broken into on Sunday night. The unknown perpetrators stole several antique weapons.
Euro 2025: most of crowd at Germany-France match were women
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Pilots’ union seeks to end deal with SWISS over working conditions
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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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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.