Pest and Disease Management

If you think your tree is suffering from pests or disease, our arborists’ trained eye is essential.

Trees threatened by pests and disease won’t grow to their full potential, and if left untreated, can quickly turn into a liability.

We can diagnose the problem and provide long-term treatment and management options to restore your tree back to good health.

Our Approach

At Arborcraft we believe in taking a holistic approach to pest and disease management. This means getting to the root cause of the problem rather than just treating the symptoms.

Traditionally, trees suffering from pests and disease have been sprayed with harmful chemicals which can further damage the tree and leach into the ground. 

This approach is a band-aid solution and by instead looking at the root cause, Arborcraft can diagnose and treat the problem without harming your tree or the surrounding environment.

Treating the Cause

It’s crucial to recognise that pests and disease often prey on already weakened trees.

Particularly in urban environments there are several factors which can make a tree more susceptible to pests and disease such as colocation, pollution and soil types. 

Through careful assessment of your tree, our qualified arborists can help you find a long-term solution.

Elm Leaf Beetle

Australia and New Zealand are home to the only remaining elms in the world due to Dutch elm disease, making our Melbourne elms among the most important in the world.

If you are lucky enough to have an elm on your property, it’s paramount that you do the best you can to protect your tree from elm leaf beetles. 

If left untreated, there’s a high chance your tree will die.

We offer several methods to protect your tree from the deadly elm leaf beetle. The best time to treat elms is in spring.

Soil Injection

An insecticide is injected into the ground around the roots of the tree and the tree will absorb and transfer the chemicals to the leaves where it kills the beetles. Soil injection can be used on trees of any trunk diameter. Soil injections usually last for two to three years.

Trunk Injections

An insecticide is injected directly into the trunk of the tree and the tree then transports the chemical to the leaves where it kills the beetles.

Trunk Banding

Tape is wrapped around the trunk of the elm (around 20cm wide) which traps the larvae that migrate down the trunk. This breaks the lifecycle and will reduce beetle numbers in following years.

Lifecycle of the Elm Leaf Beetle

Winter

Beetles hibernate in sheltered places.

Spring

The beetles are emerging from hibernation and begin to lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. The adult beetles can range from yellow to olive green and even black, like the larvae. 

You will notice holes in the leaves and severe infestations can produce an almost skeletal effect. You might also spot the beetles which can grow up to 12mm long.

Summer

This is when the larvae descend down the trunk to pupate in the soil or the trunk.

You may be able to spot them on the ground and by this stage your tree could become severely defoliated and discoloured.

In Victoria we often see a couple of these cycles in one season. Therefore you can expect the mature larvae to start breeding, with the new generation feeding on the leaves before getting ready to hibernate when the cooler autumn weather sets in.

Don’t Wait, Protect Your Elm

Please help us win the fight against the elm leaf beetle and ask us about the best protection for your elm.