Jerry Gille
Member
A few years back I started noticing dying oak trees on one ridge. 5 or 6 shingle and black oaks had died in a group. I watched the next couple years and saw that it was spreading g to other close oaks in all directions. Two years ago I had a private forester come out to renew my forest management plan. By then it had jumped over to another ridge and was spreading there too. He confirmed what I suspected - oak wilt. He told me it would stop eventually and not to worry too much about it.
Fast forward to today and it isn't even close to stopping. There are 4 large spots now with - I don't know - maybe 50 or more dead oaks. I am losing a bunch right now in fact.
I called the my district forester here in Illinois and he did not have good news for me. He told me it would likely spread to every tree that is touching roots of the red oak species. He suggested I kill all red oaks all the way around the spots where I think roots might be touching.
I have babies this timber for the 13 years I've owned it. I have improved it immensely and work on it every winter after deer season. I am absolutely suck to my stomach over this.
About 5 or 6 years ago I had 4 large white oaks near my back fence just die all of a sudden. They were my prized trees. I never knew what killed them. I walked back there after seeing other spots where the oak wilt had spread and I have dead oaks everywhere and it looks like my neighbor's oaks got napalmed across the fence.
I'm about to puke honestly. I am scared to freaking death. Anyone have any experience with this? Should I go on a killing mission or let it run its course? Trenching is not practical back there so killing seems to be the only tool I have.
Fast forward to today and it isn't even close to stopping. There are 4 large spots now with - I don't know - maybe 50 or more dead oaks. I am losing a bunch right now in fact.
I called the my district forester here in Illinois and he did not have good news for me. He told me it would likely spread to every tree that is touching roots of the red oak species. He suggested I kill all red oaks all the way around the spots where I think roots might be touching.
I have babies this timber for the 13 years I've owned it. I have improved it immensely and work on it every winter after deer season. I am absolutely suck to my stomach over this.
About 5 or 6 years ago I had 4 large white oaks near my back fence just die all of a sudden. They were my prized trees. I never knew what killed them. I walked back there after seeing other spots where the oak wilt had spread and I have dead oaks everywhere and it looks like my neighbor's oaks got napalmed across the fence.
I'm about to puke honestly. I am scared to freaking death. Anyone have any experience with this? Should I go on a killing mission or let it run its course? Trenching is not practical back there so killing seems to be the only tool I have.