New spray can stop moose

Grazing damage is a significant problem for the country's forest owners. A new spray called Anti-beta, which causes moose to avoid pine shoots, was presented yesterday. Sveaskog is involved in financing its development.

Grazing damage in forests costs the country's forest owners several hundred million kronor per year, so this new product is more than welcome.
Confidential composition

The contents of Anti-beta are still confidential since it has not been patented yet. But according to the inventor, Kerstin Sunnerheim, it comprises only natural substances. She is a lecturer in organic chemistry at Mittuniversitetet and has worked with forest grazing damage for 25 years.

"It was when I moved to the country in 2004, that I was able to start serious experimentation," says Kerstin Sunnerheim.

Many people have tried to find the magic formula for keeping moose at bay and there are some preparations on the market, but the moose seem to adjust to most of them. Kerstin Sunnerheim hopes that Anti-beta tastes so bad that they will not be able to adjust to it, and, moreover, it is said to be cheap to produce.

Sights on the top shoots

Kerstin Sunnerheim emphasises that the moose must have a choice for the spray to work.

"You can't aerial spray the entire forest; they will then eat pine shoots anyway - or move to the neighbour's land."

Instead, the top shoots must be sprayed since it is the taking of the top shoots that destroys the plant's future.

Kerstin Sunnerheim has run trials with tame moose and seen that they can eat sprayed pine, but that they choose something else if it is available. She has also sprayed plantations of young pine for three years with very good results.

Moreover, no moose or deer dine on Kerstin Sunnerheim's apple trees nowadays, when they have received their yearly dose.

Sveaskog support for the project

Sveaskog is providing land for the trials and has contributed with financing for the past year. Yesterday's press showing was held at Sveaskog's research park outside Vindeln. As with all forestry companies, Sveaskog is very interested in finding new ways of reducing grazing damage.

"We have faith in this product since it has shown very positive results in trials. It is also important for us that it is totally harmless and natural," says Ann-Britt Edfast, R&D manager at Sveaskog.

Good for small forest owners

Anti-beta will not be available for large scale use for at least three years as it must first be tested under many circumstances.

"Anti-beta can be used in especially sensitive areas and can be a good alternative for smaller forest owners," says Ann-Britt Edfast but adds,

"The spray is just one measure in the efforts to come to terms with the problem of grazing damage. Hunting and the control of the game population is still Sveaskog's main tool for reducing it."

Grazing damage causes financial losses of hundreds of millions of kronor every year, and Sweden's forest owners are very serious about reducing this. Sveaskog's goal is to reach a level where between 1 200 and 1 500 main trunks per hectare are undamaged when the stand exceeds moose grazing height.