TEXAS – As the flowers begin to bloom and the heat returns to Texas, along with it comes the silent killer – oak wilt disease.
The Texas A&M Forest Service is warning Texans about the disease that could be lurking in live and red oak trees right outside their homes.
“A live oak is a great survivor against everything that gets thrown at it from wind damage to drought to insects and other diseases, but it’s a poor survivor with oak wilt,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Forest Health Coordinator Jim Houser in Austin.
Oak wilt is considered to be an epidemic across Central Texas. Infected trees spread the disease to other oaks through their interconnected roots.
The only way to stop the spreading of oak wilt once a tree is infected is to dig trenches and break the root connections. The disease can also spread through sap-feeding bugs that eat the spores created by infected trees.
“We’re talking about trees that have been in the landscape for a century or more. We don’t replace those trees overnight,” Houser said. “Preventing oak wilt is the key.”
The peak of oak wilt season is from February through June.
- Paint wounds on trees with latex paint after pruning
- Clean pruning tools with 10 percent bleach or Lysol
- Avoid pruning trees from Feb. 1 through June 30
- Remove dead tree branches