Pests & Disease

To list all the pests and diseases that can afflict trees would be alarming and while one mustn't be complaisant,  a few of those that you're most likely to come across are given below with a more extensive list with references to the several websites that provide more detail.

Chalara Ash dieback

A fungal disease that affects ash trees, causing them to become brittle and unstable. It was first confirmed in Britain in 2012 and there is no cure. 

Dutch Elm Disease

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• Acute oak decline

  A disease that affects oak trees in areas that are prone to drought and have high pollution levels. Symptoms include black fluid oozing from the trunk. 

   

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• Oak processionary moth

  The caterpillars of this moth defoliate trees and are hazardous to humans. Their bodies are covered with poisonous hairs that can cause rashes and respiratory problems. 

   

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• Great spruce bark beetle

  This beetle damages spruce trees by tunneling into the bark. It was accidentally introduced into the UK in 1982 and is now established in parts of Western England, Wales, and Southern Scotland. 

   

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• Dothistroma needle blight

  A disease that primarily affects pine trees. It has been present in Great Britain since the 1950s. 

   

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• Chestnut blight

  A fungal disease that threatens sweet chestnut trees in the UK, particularly in southern England. 

   

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• Asian long-horned beetle

  A killer of broadleaf trees that has not yet reached the UK, but there is a high risk of it being imported on wood packaging.