Fighting oak wilt, the fungus devastating trees across North Texas
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Oak wilt is a devastating, incurable fungus that is slowly spreading over a large part of the United States.
First found in Wisconsin in the 1930s, it arrived in North Texas in Dallas County in the 1960s. I've done several stories on the disease since oak trees are treasured in the North Texas area.
The fungus kills about 80% of the live oaks it infects. Red and Shumard oaks are most susceptible and almost never survive. There is a chemical treatment for infected oaks that can help mitigate the damage, but the tree will always have the fungus and will need to be treated every two years or so.
There is something we can all do to help limit the spread of this devastating disease. The winter months are the best time of year to prune a tree, and any oak tree you might have needs to have that pruning done by end of January. Starting in February, insects that can carry the fungus start showing up and spreading the infection.
Any prune cut or open wound on an oak tree must be painted over with any latex paint you have, also by the end of January. This keeps the insect from finding an easy way to get to the growing layer of the tree just under the bark.
If you are a property owner here in North Texas, you should teach yourself how to recognize oak wilt. Go to this website to learn how to do that.
If you spot it on your oak trees, call a certified arborist immediately. There are several mitigation techniques that could greatly reduce the chance of the tree spreading the disease