As with Dutch elm
disease, oak wilt is extremely difficult, if not
impossible, to control once it has infected a tree. Here
are the alternatives for dealing with oak wilt:
1. Avoid Pruning in the Growing Season - The beetles are
attracted to fresh wounds that are actively losing sap.
Therefore, one of the key ways to prevent the spread of
oak wilt is to avoid pruning oak trees during the time
when they have leaves or when the sap is flowing in the
early spring. If at all possible, prune oaks (especially
red oaks) in the cold of winter when the leaves have
dropped. This is also the time when the insects will not
be active since they are cold-blooded creatures.
2. Remove Dead Trees - Sanitation may help to minimize
the spread of this disease. That means getting the
proper diagnosis for oak trees that die in your
landscape to be sure that it was oak wilt. Submit
samples to your land grand university through their
Extension
Service to know for sure. Once it is confirmed
that your tree(s) died of oak wilt, cut them down and
remove them from the vicinity. A local arborist or the
Extension office can advise you on how best to dispose
of the wood.
3. Cut Root
Grafts - If a properly diagnosed tree is surrounded by
other oaks, it is recommended that you disrupt the roots
to break any grafts that have formed. Specialized
equipment will be needed to do this properly. Again,
check with your local Extension office for the current
recommendations.
4.
Fungicide Treatments - Occasionally, a particularly
valued specimen tree might be saved by injecting it with
systemic
fungicides every year. This treatment works
sometimes on elm trees so it appears that it could work
on oaks since the disease organism is very similar. The
downside, of course, is that this can be a very
expensive course of treatments and there is no guarantee
that it will work.
