Thousand Cankers Disease/Walnut Twig Beetle

Thousand cankers disease currently threatens the survival of black walnuts throughout the United States. Because of the risk, many states have introduced quarantine laws to protect the black walnuts and prevent the spread of thousand cankers disease.

What Exactly Is Thousand Cankers Disease?

Photo Curtis Utley, CSUE, Bugwood.org

Thousand canker disease is a lethal disease but still relatively new to some parts of the States. The walnut twig beetle is the cause of it, as it will transfer fungi between trees when moving around. The fungi are them able to grow within the area that holds the beetle galleries, growing and killing the bark. Cankers is the name given to the parts of the bark that’s died. The disease will spread throughout the tree, overwhelming it and killing it quickly.

Can You Save the Trees Infected with Thousand Canker Disease?

Unfortunately, saving an already diseased tree isn’t possible. You need to prevent the tree getting the disease in the first place. This doesn’t just mean tackling the fungal-infected trees, but also preventing the walnut twig beetles from spreading it throughout the forest. It’s the beetles that make the disease so deadly to larger sections of forests and woods. They will move the infected wood chips, log sections, and more to areas that were previously uninfected.
The best thing to do is remove all walnuts that have already been infected. This has to be done by the end of July, before the walnut twig beetles disperse to new homes. Dispose of the wood immediately, preventing the spread of the fungi yourself. Always make sure the wood is disposed of at approved storage or landfill sites. Avoid burning or leaving any chips to lie in the ground. Never sell wood that has been infected with the disease or may have the beetles living within them. You just spread the infection to the new location.