Scab

 January 27th, 2023

Scab is a fungus called Venturia Inaequalis that affects an assortment of trees in the United States. Once the fungi has infected a tree it slowly starts weakening the tree and in some cases can kill the tree. 

The fungus is able to embed itself into fallen leaves and twigs through the winter. They then use spores that they produce to infect new growth. A tree infected by Scab will have small, dark spots that start to appear on the leaves of a tree. Once a tree with scab has been identified it is important to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread.

There are several safety precautions that can help prevent Scab from infecting other trees and spreading this disease. Prevention can be done by a variety of cultural and chemical control methods performed by professionals.

Pruning or thinning a tree can be a very effective way to reduce the spread of infection. By doing so you can provide a well-circulated and clean area for the tree to prevent infection. Keep in mind that once a tree is infected It is hard to save and preventative measures are widely recognized.

The other option is to use a variety of fungicides curated to prevent the spread of the fungus. These chemicals can be applied by a soil drench or sprayer. Making sure that these chemicals are correctly applied is important in whether or not they will have an effect or not. A specialist with experience and knowledge in tree care should be contacted and hired to apply these chemicals.

These two methods are important to prevent and save the lives of future trees. If you identify a tree infected by scab give Yarnell Tree a call to have a specialist examine and prevent the spread.