Content
- Does the chestnut often suffer from pests?
- Which pests can be dangerous to the chestnut?
- The most important pests in chestnuts:
- Does the chestnut often cause fungal attacks?
- How can I prevent a pest infestation?
- Tips
The horse chestnut miner moth causes great damage
Does the chestnut often suffer from pests?
Perhaps you still remember the reports of the chestnut dying a few years ago. Now there are still many different types of chestnuts. But they really do suffer from some pests.
Which pests can be dangerous to the chestnut?
In the chestnuts, the horse chestnut miner moth is probably the most common pest. It is mainly found on the leaves of the horse chestnut, where it shows an infestation usually with brown spots on the leaves.
The chestnut drill can cause great damage or crop failure, especially in sweet chestnuts. The females of this small weevil lay their eggs on the fruits. The larvae then eat up the chestnut from the inside. With the falling fruit they reach the ground.There they dig in for the winter.
From the chestnut winder there are an early and a late species. Both species also eat the fruit of the chestnut. While the larvae of the late chestnut willow hibernate in the soil, the early species pupate under the tree bark. So they sometimes cause very large damage. Often then followed by a fungal attack, as the spores find a portal of entry through the injuries of the bark.
The most important pests in chestnuts:
Does the chestnut often cause fungal attacks?
In weakened chestnuts or injuries caused by the pruning it is easy to fungal attack. Particularly dangerous are two fungi that cause the dreaded chestnut bark or the ink disease. Both diseases can lead to the death of the chestnut untreated.
How can I prevent a pest infestation?
The best prevention against further pest infestation is the disposal of infested plant parts. If leaves and fruits fall prematurely from the tree, you can expect a pest infestation. Collect everything regularly and do not throw it on the compost, where the larvae find ideal conditions for the winter. If it is possible for you, you burn both the foliage and the fruits.
Tips
The regular and thorough disposal of infested plant parts does not always prevent a renewed pest infestation, but it significantly reduces it.