The shrubs and trees on your property are among the most valuable parts of your landscape. Therefore, they are very important to you to protect. Still, there are a variety of tree insects and bacteria that could be damaging your landscape. This is why it is never a bad idea to hire a professional Texas tree service to help you with tree pests in San Antonio.
Dealing with diseases can be a daunting process. So, keep reading to find out more about fire blight, hypoxylon cankers, and oak wilt San Antonio prevention!
Tree Pests in San Antonio – Common Diseases
1. Bacterial Leaf Scorch
Trees are usually under a lot of stress during summer months due to the heat and lack of water. This tree disease tends to take place during this period, which is why it can be so dangerous. If you notice a yellow halo separating the scorched tissue from the green areas of the leaves on your tree, you might consider contacting one of your local San Antonio tree services as this is the first symptom. When this occurs in red oaks, untrained arborists usually misdiagnose this disease for oak wilt.
2. Fire Blight
Fire blight is another very common disease that affects different types of trees all across San Antonio. It is considered to be one of the top tree diseases since it is one of the most common bacterial infection for oak trees in TX. Usually, it makes a tree look as if it is charred. Professional arborists usually check the tree’s growth to determine whether the diagnosis is fire blight.
If a tree is affected by the bacterium that causes fire blight, its leaves will turn black or brown in spring. Fruit trees that catch this disease usually seem unhealthy and have smaller fruit than normal. Bacterial ooze leaking from the fruit is possible in later stages.
3. Hypoxylon Cankers
Another one of the top tree diseases, hypoxylon cankers are fairly common tree pests in San Antonio, especially in the case of severely stressed trees. They usually show up as dead lesions and can occur on hardwood trees, including oak. This disease will kill the wood underneath the dead bark as your tree continues to decline. This exposes sore mats and makes the bark slough. Make sure to minimize the stress on your trees to prevent this type of fungal infection.
4. Oak Wilt
One of the top tree diseases in the area is definitely oak wilt. This disease can spread like wildfire through the area’s trees, which already happened multiple times in the past. Don’t hesitate to hire a professional arborist to help you with oak wilt San Antonio prevention. Beetles that feed on the sap sometimes pick up sores on infected red oaks, and this is where the infection begins.
Fresh wounds on the other oaks are perfect for the disease to contaminate it. The problem with this disease is that it can spread very easily via root connections, so as soon as one of the trees is infected oak will start spreading really fast. Some oaks are more resistant to this disease, but every single type is at risk, so make sure you do everything you can to prevent oak wilt from spreading.
Related Post: Treating Oak Wilt
5. Root Rot
The fungus causes many different diseases in San Antonio, but root rot is one of the most common ones. The disease is dangerous cause it kills woody trunk tissues, root tissues, and fine feeder roots. Trees that have been over-watered are usually more likely to catch fungus diseases, so be careful when you’re watering the trees in your yard. If your trees have experienced the previous wounding they are at higher risk of catching fungus.
6. Fungal Conks
Trees in San Antonio are prone to developing fungal conks. Wood-rotting fungus is usually associated with the fruiting body also known as “conk”. It is typically fibrous, but it might be fleshy, too. Usually found on old branches, cracks, and bark wounds, these conks are the fungus’s way of reproducing. Conks generate fungal spores that spread, and this is how the disease is also spread.
Don’t hesitate to contact your local arborist to help you remove the parts of the tree that are infected. If you don’t react on time, the fungus can spread to other areas and endanger other trees. Removing the tree completely will sometimes be necessary to stop the fungus from spreading.
Tree Service Removal Overview
Hopefully, this article will help you better understand tree pests in San Antonio. Most of these diseases can be seriously dangerous for your trees, so it is always a good idea to contact your local tree service when you notice the first symptoms. Also, trees that aren’t infected will be endangered if you don’t diagnose and treat the diseases. Your local arborist will be able to help you fight the diseases most of the time!
