What are the warning signs of a diseased tree?

If you aren’t sure how to detect a diseased tree, you’re not by yourself. Most Rochester property owners don’t identify the signs of disease in their trees until they call a tree specialist.

Do your best to watch for warning signs of a diseased tree to stop it from dying and damaging your property. If a dead tree falls onto your house, it will result in pricey damages. Consider removing the tree before it falls by calling a Tree Removal Specialist.

Below are some signs of a diseased tree:

Seeping Fluid
If you see fluid coming out of your tree, it could have alcoholic slime flux. In serious cases, excess fluid pools around the tree’s base. This fluid usually leaves dark streaks down a tree’s bark and has a sour odor. Most trees with alcoholic slime flux start to create fluid in the summer and spring.

Bark is Peeling
An indication that your tree has a disease is the bark is peeling. The bark on your tree is critical. It safeguards the trunk’s inner core, keeping the tree healthy. If the bark on your trees begins to peel, the trees might not sustain much-needed nutrients and will die.

Shoots or Flowers
A common disease in a vast number of trees is fire blight. When a tree has fire blight, the flowers or shoots on the tree become black. Once the flowers and shoots are infested, they’ll bend into the shape of a shepherd’s crook. These signs usually appear a couple of weeks after the tree gets infected. When the disease gets into the tree, bacteria populate rapidly in large amounts.

Around the Base of the Tree are Light Brown Shelves
Inonotus dryadeus is a fungus that delivers rotting diseases to trees including oak. The fungus stops branch growth. Sooner or later, the fungus gets to the base of the tree and creates light, large brown shelves close to the soil. Ultimately, the shelves harden and become black.

Brown or Yellow Leaves
Brown or yellow leaves combined with slow tree growth are signs of root rot. You may also see big branches dying and extreme wilting in trees that have this disease. Fungus rots in the soil and strikes the roots of trees, creating this disease.
If you see any of these signs, contact an arborist right away. Diseased trees must be treated swiftly, or the tree could die.
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