The Hazards of Tree Disease and Insects
In our society trees are associated with qualities of strength and fortitude. However, it is possible for trees to contract diseases. In the case that a tree is infected or diseased it can be very difficult to intervene. This is because in order to stop the disease you first have to identify which one it is. One of the best ways for identifying a disease is through the use of fungicides. These are typically sprayed or injected into the tree itself. Although there are hundreds of different diseases which target trees the United States has close to two dozen which are most common.
Chestnut blight is a type of fungus which has diseased and killed off the vast majority of American chestnut trees. To date there is no cure for the chestnut blight disease.
Amillaria is a disease often referred to as “root rot” this disease attacks shrubs, vines, and other plant life. It is extremely common in America and has a knack of going for both hardwood and softwood trees.
Anthracnose is also called leaf spot disease. This is a disease many can pinpoint on their own trees easily. The leaves of the tree begin to grow patches, blotches, or holes as they die from the inside out. The loss of leaves is an immediate detraction from the quality of a tree, in urban, and suburban areas this has caused the value of certain areas to fluctuate.
These are just several of the hundreds of diseases that plaque our trees. Insects also pose a large threat to tree life. Aphids are insects that eat leaves and inject toxins into plans. These toxins can disturb the growth of the tree and weaken its resolve to handle diseases. Longhorn beetles although somewhat new in discovery have unleashed a phenomena of disease on trees. This beetles lay eggs just barely underneath the bark of a tree. The laying of eggs disturbs the functioning of tree roots and if continued can lead to complete breakdown of the tree. Adelgids are another pest that can harm trees. These insects are very small and live off of coniferous plants which they rip apart with their sharp teeth and then suck the sap out of.