Back to NWACA Home
NWACA Oak Wilt Committee

Oak Wilt is a serious threat to the Live Oak and Red Oak trees in our NWACA neighborhood
and central Texas. Since the first neighborhood Oak Wilt discoveries in the 1980s, the NWACA
Oak Wilt Committee has promoted aggressive prevention and containment techniques.

Prevention Techniques

Resident education
Study Oak Wilt basics (see links below)
Inform neighbors who may be new to Austin
Distribute brochures and conduct presentations

Proper pruning
AVOID pruning oaks during February through June (peak carrier beetle activity season)
Sterilize tools with bleach or alcohol (Lysol is also a solution)
Employ certified arborists and their firms (avoid scam artists)

 Proper wound treatment
Immediately paint wounds with pruning paint or latex paint
Within 15 minutes, carrier beetles may be attracted to untreated cuts or wounds

Proper firewood usage
Select well seasoned firewood (unseasoned wood might be contaminated)
Select Oak Wilt free firewood (no fungal mat contamination)

 Monitor utility easement clearing activities
Review project with city project manager
Inspect actual work for equipment sterilization and wound treatment

 Plant trees other than Live Oaks or Red Oaks (see "Trees of Central Texas" recommendation)


Containment Techniques

Trenching
Digging trench to bed rock
These are major neighborhood projects costing about $100,000 each

 Infected tree injection
Can be "do-it-yourself' project
Recommend contracting a Certified Arborist or Board Certified Master Arborist

Infected tree removal
Recommend contracting a Certified Arborist or Board Certified Master Arborist
Red Oaks must be quickly removed to prevent fungal mats risk


Educational Resources

http://www.texasoakwilt.org/ (all your Oak Wilt questions)
http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=1173
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/oakwilt
http://www.treesaregood.com/ (general)
http://www.isa-arbor.com/findArborist/findarborist.aspx (area arborists)

Oak Wilt Contacts

Oak Wilt Information Line (Texas Forest Service and LCRA) 512-473-3517
Texas State Oak Wilt Coordinator, Jim Houser 512 339-4589
Texas Staff Forester, Eric Beckers 512-339-3772
City of Austin, Chris Dolan 512-974-1881
NWACA Oak Wilt Committee, Parker Blevins  512-345-6182

Press Release: TEXAS FOREST SERVICE
The Texas A&M University System

Prevention is the key to decreasing Oak Wilt spread:
TFS Urges Caution When Selecting and Transporting Oak Firewood

December 5, 2005

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Forest Service is encouraging Texans to be careful when collecting and purchasing
firewood at this time of year. Transporting and storing diseased wood is a known means of spreading the
devastating oak wilt fungus to previously uninfected neighborhoods. Utilizing these prevention steps is the
key to safeguarding against spreading the disease through the selection and use of firewood:

Select well-seasoned firewood. Well-seasoned wood is cut before the summer and is typically dry with
loose bark and cracked ends. Avoid oak wood that appears unseasoned, that may have tight bark and cut
ends which show no cracks or signs of aging. The extreme heat and drying of a full Texas summer effectively
destroys the fungus in cut firewood.

 Safely store unknown sources of firewood. If the oak wood comes from an unknown source and it is
not well seasoned, 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 red oaks
(i.e., Spanish, Texas red, blackjack or shumard oak) that die rapidly (2-3 weeks) or in groups
(2 or more trees over several years) for oak wilt. Trees suspected to have died recently from oak wilt should
be destroyed by burning, burying or chipping. The heat of a fire destroys the fungus and the smoke emitted
poses no threat to healthy trees. When planning to do any outdoor burning, be sure you check with local
officials to see if an outdoor burning ban is in place for your county and take care not to burn on windy days
with low humidity.

 Avoid wounding oaks during vulnerable seasons. The general recommendation is to avoid injuries to
oaks from 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 oflatex
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.

Oak firewood is an important commodity to Texans, whether it's used for firing up the barbecue pit or for
warming up the home on a cold winter's day. By selecting well-seasoned, disease-free firewood and by
following other disease prevention guidelines, homeowners are taking the correct steps to prevent a
new oak wilt disease outbreak in their neighborhood.

For more information: http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=1173 or
http://www.texasoakwilt.org/ or call the TFS/Lower Colorado River Authority's Oak Wilt Hotline-512-473-3517.

Guidelines for the Proper Handling of Firewood to
Prevent the Spread of Oak Wilt Disease

1. If possible, find out exactly where the wood is from to ensure that it has not come from area infected
with oak wilt.

2. Make every effort to collect or obtain only wood that is properly seasoned (dead/dry). Ensure this by
looking for cracks developing on the cut ends and loose bark.

3. Do not harvest red oak varieties (Spanish Oak or Blackjack Oak) for firewood which may contain
infectious oak wilt spores.

4. Never stack firewood from trees known or suspected of being infected with the oak wilt fungus near
healthy trees. As an added precaution, cover the wood with CLEAR plastic with the ends properly
tucked and sealed. Do not use black plastic.

5. Firewood from unknown origins should be burned during the winter months and do not carry it over
to the next season.

6. If you are planning to harvest firewood, attempt to cut it in the summer and let it dry in full sun on site
before transporting it to urban areas.

Additional Web Resources

Texas Forest Service has a wealth of information.
Urban Forestry Program, including: Finding the Best Tree for Your Yard – The Texas Tree Planting Guide

July 30, 2006 at 08:58 PM |