After a particularly warm May, nature experts fear that this will lead to another blow to Latvian spruce forests, which are widespread across the country's landscape. That's not because of fire, but the eight-toothed bark beetle, which, as the climate warms, has become increasingly obsessed with Latvian spruces.

The bark beetle is an invasive pest that breeds and lives under the bark of spruce trees, and is less than half a centimetre long. It thrives in the dry, warm climate that is becoming more favourable to the beetle every year. Last spring, Latvia declared a state of emergency due to the beetle's particularly active infestation. In terms of damage, around 550-850 hectares of spruce forests died in 2021, and over 2300 hectares died the following year. With more than half of its territory covered by forest, Latvia is one of the most forested countries in Europe. This spring's damage may not become apparent until mid-July, when entire areas of forests may turn brown.