Oak Tree wilt is a fungal disease that moves through the trees vascular system.
The fungus spores are carried through small beetles that feed on sap from fresh wounds on a tree that are created from pruning, storm damage and other damaging cuts.
Once the beetles feed and the fungus gets introduced to the tree’s vascular tissue, the tree reacts by plugging cells which causes the tree’s branches to wilt.
The disease can also spread from already infected oaks by moving through root grafts between trees of the same species. This is why oak wilt spreads so effectively between nearby trees.
What to do if your tree gets infected with oak wilt.
If you notice that your tree has oak wilt you want to get the tree removed as soon as possible. If you do not remove the tree then there is a high possibility that trees of the same species will get infected as well.
Sadly there is no treatment for this disease, once the tree is infected there is nothing more you can do besides remove it. If you do cut down the tree and decide to keep the wood as firewood, you will need to cover the wood with a tarp or some sort of cover and make sure to keep it covered for a summer and it will remove the fungus from the wood.
To prevent this disease from happening, make sure you do not do any type of cuts to oak trees around April to July.
If you need any tree removal or stump grinding, give us a call at (540) 720-8733 or
Office@Treetimesinc.com
