Treatment of chestnut trees

The chestnut leafminer is a tree pest that causes premature leaf fall and the death of chestnut trees. It is a butterfly that is currently found throughout Europe. Its expansion across the continent was short-lived. The pest was first observed in 1984 in Macedonia. Five years later, it appeared in Austria, and then in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France and Italy. It reached Poland in 1998.

The main cause is the transfer of the insect and leaves with its larvae by road transport. The parasite first attacks chestnut trees located along main roads and streets.

DDD Andrzej Panfil successfully uses yellow adhesive bands with pheromone inserts on tree trunks in the form of adhesive strips, which are much more effective than ordinary adhesive bands used to control the horse chestnut leafminer. The pheromone bands are mainly used to catch the first and second generations of insects, which mainly live on tree trunks. The traps should be used when the butterflies of each generation emerge. The first bands should be applied in April.

Treatment of horse chestnut trees is currently the most common and most effective method. Commonly used adhesive bands are simply a stretch band with glue on it. This makes them less effective at catching the pest. However, yellow adhesive bands enriched with pheromones make the insects stick to the bands.

Examples of chestnut tree protection