Beetle ravaging live oaks

by PegNews wire

A fast-spreading disease called "oak wilt" is killing oak trees across north and central Texas -- more than a million already, and more will die this spring.

The disease is introduced by infected beetles that attack the trees after they've been pruned. Carrie Atchison of the Texas Forest Service told KRLD that the disease strikes most harshly in the spring.

"It warms up and people get out in their yards and don't realize that the spring time is the most susceptible time to prune trees," she said.

The disease kills fast. A live oak tree infected with the deadly fungus will die within two to four months.

Found in over 60 counties in Central Texas, oak wilt is called "one of the most destructive tree diseases in the United States" by the Texas Forest Service. The fungus -- ceratocystis fagacearum -- invades and clogs the tree’s water-conducting system. It's introduced to the tree when a contaminated beetle finds a fresh wound.

To avoid exposing your oak trees to contamination, prune when the beetle population is at its lowest: during the heat of summer and the cold of winter. The Forest Service has more information on how to avoid the dreaded wilt.

Posted by T.G.

• Staff
• Verified User
• Anonymous