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Bark Beetles Cause a Number of Chamonix Walking Trails to Close
Walking paths closed for a limited time to assess damage & treat trees
A number of 'Arete Municipales' or closures designated by the town hall, have been put in place on some of the Chamonix Valley's walking trails, partially due to an influx of bark beetles.
The 5 mm long winged bugs (likened to the size and shape of a mouse dropping) like to feast on fallen or damaged pine and spruce trees, burrowing underneath the bark into the tree trunks and slowly kill off the trees if they're not already dead. They can stunt the growth of live trees by attacking the crown of the tree, affect the wood at the core of the tree, or kill it off all together.
Bark beetles seem to proliferate after short winters and warmer summers, and their increase in numbers has already caused a significant problem to pine forests in huge areas across the northern United States & parts of Canada, not only in forests but in agricultural crops and orchards across the globe too. 'Climate change and human facilitated movement of the bugs' seem to be the main contributing factors for their spread, says a recent paper on the ecology and morphology of bark beetles.
Some species of bark beetles are native to France, but their population growth this year seems to be causing concern in Chamonix, so much so that several walking trails (or parts of trails) in the valley have been closed to the public whilst the trees in these areas are treated and the beetles dealt with.
A full list of currently closed paths can be found on La Chamionarde's website (in French only) please take a look at the maps to see which areas are off limits.
