In response to the mass outbreak of the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, the brand “Spruceful” is developing an innovative solution using Internet of Things, or IoT, technology – fitting traps with a module of sensors that sends the user data on how full the trap is. Because of the bark beetle outbreak, economic activity has to be restricted across the whole country this year and protective measures taken for valuable spruce stands, but the new solution will make it possible to identify pest outbreaks in good time, optimise forest monitoring and reduce the damage. The solution is being developed by participants in the Latvian start-up education programme “StartSchool”. Although none of them has professional experience in forestry, they care about Latvian nature and its future.
“The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle destroys more than 32 million cubic metres of timber every year – enough to build wooden houses for the entire population of Latvia. At the moment humanity is losing the fight against the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, but our mission is to restore the ecological balance in forests and to make sure that our grandchildren are not left without a Christmas tree,” stresses the author of the idea, data analyst Jānis Binders.
“StartSchool” co-founder Kristofs Blaus notes: “Forest protection matters to the whole of society, not only to forest owners. We can have high hopes for this team, because they are tackling a global problem. The solution has a specific target audience with a clear motivation to pay for the tool. The team has already taken practical steps to get from an idea to real prototypes in Latvia's forests. Although the hardest part is still ahead and it will take a great deal of motivation and persistence, this really could be a successful company for Latvia to be proud of.”
The idea for such a solution came about while interviewing representatives of the agriculture and forestry sectors, when one of the pressing problems came to light during the conversations – the damage caused by the bark beetle. The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle is the most destructive conifer pest in Latvia, capable of doing more harm to spruce stands than all other forest pests combined, which is why it deserves greater attention. The outbreak has affected not only Latvia but almost every country in the northern hemisphere – from Germany and Norway all the way to Japan and Canada.
The innovative solution involves improving existing pheromone traps by equipping them with sensors and a communications module that, in any weather, automatically sends the user information about how full the trap is and about other significant environmental factors, allowing the forest owner or manager to follow the situation remotely. The data transmission coverage of the “Spruceful” solution is four times greater than that of mobile networks, making it usable even in remote clearings and out-of-the-way places.
At present the brand is focusing on adapting the solution to pheromone traps that have already been installed, but in future it plans to work on early pest detection without using artificially synthesised pheromone; the innovation also has potential in other sectors.