A new plant pest has been found in South Australia since January that poses a big threat and challenge to European elm trees. The SA Research and Development Institute confirmed the identification of elm leaf beetle found at one of the trees in Malvern since this beetle feeds on elm leaves causing significant damage to elm trees in NSW, Victoria and northern Tasmania.
This pest was first discovered on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria way back in 1989. Albeit few European elms including English elm and Golden elm exist today, they are regarded as stately deciduous and most beautiful trees.
What is the Elm Beetle Pest?
Although the elm beetle pest does not affect the Chinese and Japanese elms that are commonly planted, it is time to prepare and do something to save especially the European elms that it attacks. It is expected in late summer that the damage shall be more felt when the larvae and adult beetles feed on the leaves. There shall be “shot holes” left in the leaves that the adults eat, while the larvae strips the leaves’ tissue and leave them skeletonised, making the leaves become brown and fall prematurely as a mature tree can possibly defoliate in a warmer weather.
Pests in general can damage shrubs and trees, making them sick, decay or deteriorate. Like human beings, trees also grow old and their death can be expedited by sickness caused by pests just like viruses do to humans.
Measures to for Pest Control & Prevention
Treatments for pests are already available and tree owners must remember that to protect their trees from premature and serious damage, it is always deemed necessary to take care of their tree and maintain its health and safety. They should take the needed control and protection so their trees shall stay alive and serve longer as expected.
Part of the tree’s maintenance is to detect if it has been sick and needs treatment. Regular checkup to diagnose tree problems is necessary. There are companies especially in the environment-conscious Adelaide who offer services like tree surgery for trees to be treated of diseases by bracing and pruning their branches as well as filling cavities.
Trunk Infections
Even if the trees look healthy and strong, they might already have trunk infections. If left undetected, they seem not to pose direct safety risk especially with their healthy-looking crowns. They can survive for some more years and as the disease progresses, the margins of wounds progress too and the disease continues to kill the bark.
If the tree’s infection and disease is detected, tree surgery may be done by the professionals through trimming, dead wooding, branch removal, mulching, and storm damage chipping. The expert who can do this is also called a tree surgeon.
As for the elm beetle pests, the tree experts already have chemical treatment available and must be handled by the tree professionals themselves.
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