Oak Wilt - What to Do

OAK WILT ALERT! Oak wilt has been found ONLY ONE MILE FROM THE BORDERS OF WOODGLEN. But don't panic yet. Oak wilt only moves a few feet a year through the ground.

However, oak will is also carried by beetles - THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO "WOUNDS" (new cuts) ON TREES, and THEY GET AROUND! So the message is: Don't prune any oaks unless absolutely necessary, and if you do, be sure to IMMEDIATELY paint the wound Any paint - oil or latex - will work. The most susceptible trees are live oaks and red oaks, which are mainly in the center part of WoodGlen around the Amenity Center and homes nearby, but post oaks are in danger too.

Many people are still seeing oaks die from environmental damage by builders or by improper landscaping. If you have questions about a tree call us and we can look or give you a copy of the list of approved arborists for the area. See the following tips from the Texas Agricultural Extension Agency.

There are a number of effective measures that can be taken to minimize the threat of oak wilt.

• OAKS ARE SAFEST IF PRUNED IN THE WINTER OR LATE SUMMER. Any wound on an oak tree, when the bark beetle is active, is likely to get visited by the beetle. If the wound and the visit occur during the period of early February through May, when the fungus is also active, there is a chance that the tree will be inoculated with the disease. Prune unsafe branches as they occur.
• COVER ALL WOUNDS ON OAKS WITH PRUNING PAINT. The period of susceptibility is very short, perhaps only three days after the wound occurs, but it is safest to get in the habit of covering the wounds. Remember that pruning is only one of the ways trees get wounded. Automobile bumps, lawn mowers, string trimmers, wind and ice breakage, and bulldozers on roots are other common examples of wounds.
• MANAGE FIREWOOD TO AVOID INFECTION. It is not necessary to reduce the use of the fireplace in order to stop the spread of oak wilt. Smoke from infected wood burning is NOT a threat! The fungus is destroyed by heat and will not even survive in dry firewood. If you utilize red oak firewood, try to purchase wood from trees that have not been infected or killed from oak wilt. Only wood that has been cured for an entire summer should be stored in the vicinity of uninfected red or live oaks. If you bought oak firewood for this winter and are unsure of its age or origins, use it up before spring.
• DIVERSIFY YOUR SHADE TREE PLANTINGS. Large blocks of red and live oaks are susceptible to the spread of the disease. Plant cedar elm, chinkapin oak, bur oak, Chinese pistache, and bald cypress in addition to red and live oak. PLANTanswers has a list of outstanding landscape plants for all areas of Texas that suggests other alternatives.