Elm trees are big and beautiful, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t fall victim to diseases. One of the most common ailments is Dutch elm disease and if you want to save your tree from damage and ultimate death, then here are some things you need to know about this disease. However, if the damage is extensive already, consult tree removal companies.
Dutch Elm Disease
Dutch elm disease, also known as DED, is a fungal disease that can lead to the death of elm trees. Dutch elm disease is caused by one of the following three types of beetles:
- Native elm bark beetle
- Banded elm bark beetle
- Smaller European elm bark beetle
These beetles attack weak and vulnerable trees and mainly clog the water-conducting system of elm trees. If you know anything about trees, whether as a tree expert or a layman with a green thumb, then you would know that all kinds of green plants need water to live. So, if a fungus, from the elm bark beetles, attacks an elm tree, then the water supply will be severely affected, even if you’re religious about watering your trees.
It will lead to the tree wilting, slowly becoming lifeless, and then ultimately dying, because a living being can survive without water for so long.
Elm bark beetle usually lays eggs in the tree, in plain sight, but well hidden from predators, at least in the preliminary stages, and then once the beetle reaches adulthood, they fly to other neighboring healthy elm trees and feast on them.
Signs Of Dutch Elm Disease In Elm Trees
So, now that you know the gist behind Dutch elm disease, it is important to keep an eye out for the signs and symptoms of this deadly ailment, because even though the symptoms don’t show or progress rapidly, when they do, it ultimately means doom for the tree and that’s never a good sign.
Leaves Turning Brown
One of the first symptoms of Dutch elm disease, especially in elm trees, is the browning of the leaves. Usually, the leaves of an elm tree are lush green in color. However, under the onslaught of this ailment, the leaves can turn yellow at first, and then slowly, they will turn brown and be very dry, to the point that a small gust of wind can snap the leaves from the branches and they can rain down beside the tree.
So, this is something that you need to keep an eye out for because a lot of diseases can lead to browning of the leaves, but in elm trees, it might be the sign of something deadly.
Beetles On The Trees
This is the main symptom and an identifying factor of Dutch elm disease because as mentioned above, Dutch elm disease is caused by a beetle, or rather three types of beetles.
These beetles are what feast on the tree, specifically the bark and the leaves of the tree, and leave their wrath behind. This is important to look at and getting rid of them is imperative if you want to save your elm tree from its end.
Drooping Of The Leaves
Browning of the leaves is one thing, but before this stage, there comes a time when the leaves suddenly droop. Now, some trees have a naturally drooping structure but not all trees are the same. Elm trees have erected leaves and this is a sign of health. So, before the leaves turn brown or yellow, they fan down and droop with gravity.
This means that the leaves are no longer getting nutrients from the roots and that something is wrong with the tree. So, if you see this, then you don’t want to sit around. It’s time to act quickly.
Decline In Health
In general, your elm tree just won’t look happy and lively. Trees are unusual in the sense that you can tell when they’re healthy and when they’re not, just by looking at them. They are living beings, after all, so it’s only natural that they act like it too. You can tell that the tree is failing to get nutrients of any kind when it just looks lifeless and sad.
There’s no new sprouting of leaves, there is no life, there’s no vibrancy in the color, there’s no give when you peel the bark. Everything is just so lifeless and that’s not good. This is the time to inspect the tree and find the cause of the declining tree health.
It’s Behind The Bark
When you normally peel away the bark of an elm tree, you will see the creamy color of the wood and everything underneath it. Well, you might want to peel the bark for other reasons too. If you suspect that your elm tree is under the attack of beetles and Dutch elm disease is not far away, then you can check by peeling the bark of the tree.
If the underside is red and brown-streaked all over, then that’s not a good sign at all. This means that the damage from Dutch elm disease is already done.
Branches Falling Down
Leaves won’t be the only thing falling down when Dutch elm disease rears its head. It can also show its ruthless effects on the branches. Branches will fall down once they turn weak and if you need any more confirmation that your tree is under attack, then you can see the leaves too and they will be brown, lifeless, and dull.
So, if you see branches scattered all over the base of the tree, then that is not the time to sit around and go through your options. You need to get the tree checked immediately. Keep in mind that there will be point where cutting down the tree may be helpful in keeping the disease from spreading to the surrounding tree, so contact emergency tree services Bethesda for tree removal.
When Do The Symptoms Show?
The time when the symptoms aggravate is also important. Usually, Dutch elm disease can show its symptoms in the late spring and summer. This is the time when you need to look out for the tree the most because that is when the beetles are ready to wreak havoc on the poor trees.
This is the time when the small beetles are finally big enough to lead the damage to the tree and that’s not good at all. So, you want to keep an eye out for the tree, especially during these hot summer months, because it can be deadly for the tree.
Give A Sample For Testing
You have heard a lot about this already: Have the tree checked when you see the symptoms of Dutch elm disease. But, how do you do that? Well, aside from calling a professional, you can also take a sample of the tree bark with the red and brown streaks and send it to your local tree health lab.
They can run tests on the bark and confirm whether the tree is suffering from Dutch elm disease or not. Since it is a serious ailment, there are test labs available that can give you detailed reports about the tree’s health, which is awesome.
Conclusion
Dutch elm disease has similar symptoms to other tree diseases, but in elm trees, they’re as clear as day. So, now you know when to call in arborist services Chevy Chase if your tree doesn’t look right.
