In July 2025, important fieldwork was undertaken as part of FORSAID’s exploration of insect trapping solutions in forested areas. The endeavour was undertaken by project partners from the Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU), taking place across the territories of the Vyshkivsky and Slobidsky Forestry Departments. Local support was provided by the Vygodsky Forestry Branch and the Lviv Forest Protection Unit.

More specifically, UNFU’s staff on site installed conventional beetle traps, devices which were themselves provided by FORSAID partner EFOS. This deployment is an initial step paving the way towards a broader objective - a four-year observational analysis of spruce bark beetle populations in the Carpathian region. Generating statistical data on a daily basis, the experiment is meant to:

• introduce digital surveillance methods for bark beetles; 

• improve the performance of fully automated traps;

• provide clear, localised data on pest pressure and bark beetle population dynamics to support forest management systems.

As mentioned above, the traps themselves allow for fully automated data collection and AI-based cloud data processing. In that sense, the devices are energy-independent and equipped with weather sensors, self-cleaning systems, high-resolution cameras, electronics, cellular network connectivity and GPS receivers.

Overall, the experiment will inform FORSAID’s overall research into innovating pest monitoring and forest management. You can find out more about the general vision behind the project here.