The Texas A&M Forest Service urges caution in the gathering firewood to prevent the spread of oak wilt disease—the most destructive tree disease in the U.S.
Firewood is an important commodity to Texans, as it is used in barbecue pits and fireplaces. Now is the time to pay close attention to the firewood being picked up and stored for winter. Transporting and storing diseased wood can spread the devastating oak wilt fungus, according to Texas A&M Forest Service.
Follow these steps to prevent oak wilt disease:
• Select well-seasoned firewood. Wood that was cut before the summer and is dry with loose bark and cracked ends.
• Safely store unknown sources of firewood. Cover the woodpile with a clear piece of plastic. Burying the edges of the plastic will prevent the entry or exit of insects that might have been attracted to diseased wood and fungal mats.
• Destroy diseased red oaks. A knowledgeable arborist or forester should diagnose oak wilt in red oaks (i.e., Texas red, blackjack or shumard oak) that die rapidly within 2-3 weeks or in groups of two or more trees over several years.
• Avoid wounding oaks during vulnerable seasons of February through June. The best times for pruning of oaks are during the heat of summer (minimal spore production) or the cold of winter (minimal insect activity).
• Paint all oak wounds including pruning cuts. Throughout the year, immediately apply a thin coat of latex or pruning paint to all fresh wounds and other injuries that expose the inner bark or sapwood of oaks. This prevents contaminated sap beetles from infecting the wound with oak wilt spores.
For more information on oak wilt, visit Texas Oak Wilt.