Oak trees are majestic, living creatures, but sadly, like most other living creatures, they are not immune from disease. There is a particular disease called oak wilt that can attack oak trees. Caused by a fungus, it is highly contagious and usually deadly. Therefore, if you have an oak tree, the responsible thing to do is to keep an eye on the tree, note any signs of oak wilt, and call a tree care company if you suspect the tree has the disease.

Detecting Oak Wilt

If you understand the basics of how oak wilt works, you'll understand why its signs are what they are. The disease is caused by fungi that move into the tree's woody tissues. At first, the fungi are only in the outer layers of the wood, but eventually, they find their way into the vascular tissue. These tissues are meant to carry water up to the branches of the tree. When the fungi become prevalent enough, they stop the tree's branches from receiving the water they need. Then, those branches start to die off.

The key signs of oak wilt are wilted, yellowed leaves and dying branches. Usually, one branch will die first. Typically, it is a branch high in the crown of the tree. The leaves will turn yellow, and then they'll crumble and fall off. This will then start to happen to additional branches, a few at a time.

Managing Oak Wilt

Since there are some other diseases that can mimic oak wilt, your tree care company may test the tree's wood to see if the oak wilt fungi truly are to blame for the symptoms. Or, they may simply assume the diagnosis if a lot of other trees in the area have had oak wilt too.

Sadly, the best way to deal with oak wilt is to have the tree company remove the infected tree. Although homeowners sometimes want to wait to do this until the tree is completely dead, tree care companies often prefer to act before this. If the tree is removed in the earlier stages of the infection, the fungi will have less chance to replicate. This means that fewer trees in the area are likely to become infected. In other words, removing your tree with oak wilt may help protect the neighbors' trees as well as other trees on your property.

Oak wilt is a serious disease and one to watch out for if you have oak trees. It's sad that the only option is to remove the trees, but knowing this can help you do what's best.

For more information, contact a tree care service near you.