VIDEO: Managing Heather Beetle Damage - How Expert Keepers Protect Our Moors

This video was shared by the Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group to highlight one of the heart-breaking choices that our moor keepers do not like taking. These three linked clips show young heather plants that have been severely damaged by heather beetles this year. This heather is around three years old and ordinarily vegetation of this age would not be burned for at least another four or more years (at this site).

The decision to burn off the dying heather is based on the knowledge that it will regenerate more quickly. It is also prudent to remove the canopy as beetled heather is a very severe fire risk, especially in an area frequented regularly by visitors. The saddening thing for the keeper is that he created these swathes of healthy heather only to see it devastated prematurely by this years irruption of beetles.

He is not alone. Huge areas of moorland have been blighted by beetles in 2025 right across many moorland landscapes. Getting the heather back to a healthy state, flowering and delighting tourists, it is this type of expert management that is necessary. The area is shallow peat, strewn with stones and no cutting equipment can cope with this short sward or safely navigate the exposed stones. Burning is the only option.

The third clip shows the finished work. One thing of note is that no kit was called upon to extinguish the fires. This is because the fuel load was relatively low, the conditions were conducive to safe combustion and the experienced keeper could predict exactly how the fire would travel.

The only consolation is that this area is often populated by golden plover in spring and although the burning of this heather was a necessary and precautionary measure, it will be perfect for these red listed waders.

📧 Stay Updated on All Moorland Issues: Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter.