With winter winds around the corner we have had to take out a few trees that may be considered dangerous. We carry out tree inspections on a regular basis.
The one recently removed was a potential issue to the entrance road.
Although an after thought, we try to leave standing deadwood for insects and birds like woodpeckers, treecreepers, etc. In the case of this twenty year old elm, we have had to remove all timber due to potential spread to other trees of Dutch Elm disease.
The bark was removed to expose the grub tracks of the bark beetle.
The fungi that cause is transferred from diseased to healthy elms by elm bark beetles, which carry spores of the fungi on their bodies and, in so doing, spread the disease. Luckily the elms we have are mainly Wych Elm.
The disease came into the UK in the seventies via Holland, hence Dutch Elm disease, on the back of imported trees. Although the name stuck it originated in Asia. It is not a notifiable disease but records have been sent nevertheless.
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