Mold on beech

[MaxJ]

Look at a Beech yesterday that the customer is thinking about taking down. It has a white dusty mold on the trunk from the base upto 25 feet. It is only on the one side of the trunk, anyone give me advice as to what it is and the severity of it please.

The tree looks relatively healthy but there is some dead wood in the crown.

[David Humphries]

Pictures are really needed before anyone will stick there neck out with thoughts of diagnosis or Id.

 

Any chance of posting some up?

 

 

 

 

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[MaxJ]

Will try and get some today. Ta

[detritus21]

Sounds like it could be Beech Scale Insect infestation (Cryptococcus fagisuga) which could lead to Beech bark disease. Pictures would help though.

[chris cnc]

im going to take a gamble on the description and go for Cryptococcus fagisuga- beech scale insect- lives on beech bark and creates a sort of white wooly effect on the bark. very common round here.

 

the insects themselves are not an immediate problem, but if left for long enough, they will wound the bark leading to beech bark disease, which involves cankers eventually leading to the death of the tree.

 

the insect can be removed by washing the bark with soapy water.

 

or i could be wrong...

[MaxJ]

That sounds like it could be it as there are some wounds/openings on the bark. Will get some photos this afternoon.

[MaxJ]

Just googled Cryptococcus fagisuga and that is the baby. What do you think the preventative measures are? It says that removal of the contaminated stem, but as it on the main trunk should be removed all together?

The client was wondering whether to remove it anyway as it is swamping the rest of his garden.

[David Humphries]

If what you have is Beech scale, then I guess your options may be based upon the amount of dysfunction that is currently apparant.

 

Sounds as if your tree has a high density of the bug.

 

The tree will start showing signs of "tarry spots" on the trunk/branches, created by the young scale, which then get infected by Nectria coccinea, usually followed by one or a host of other fung, like Bjerkendera.

 

This could lead to failure of structural parts of the tree,(branches, trunk etc....)

 

The best time to treat (summer) is whilst still at the larval stage before they become adults, as thats when they get the hard scale.

 

One method is using White Oil, 4 parts veg oil & 1 part detergent, diluted with water to 1:50

 

Still think it wise to post some shots of this and any other future issues you want to discuss.

 

 

 

D

 

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Let me guess!

 

roots in lawn scuffed by mower, and a slightly if not considerable bias to a one sided crown?

[MaxJ]

Let me guess!

 

roots in lawn scuffed by mower, and a slightly if not considerable bias to a one sided crown?

 

Yes and yes!

Slight mower attacks and also a large amount of rabbit presence, almost every trees roots have been scratched at.