EDITOR:

American beech trees are definitely unique-looking with their smooth grey bark and long-toothed leaves. Their spiny seeds feed a variety of animals such as black bears, opossums, squirrels, deer, turkeys, and many more birds and small mammals. However, there is a miniscule invader that is killing our beech trees, threatening to thin our forests and make recreational trails potentially dangerous.

Beech bark disease is the slow death of beech trees caused by an exotic species of scale insect (no bigger than 5mm!) along with several native fungi. The scale insects bore into the tree trunks, creating a wound where the fungi then enters and rots the tree from the inside out.

Saying it is a “slow” death is relative, as the disease can kill a tree in just a few years, and is almost impossible to stop after it has been established in a forest. Once a tree is weakened enough it becomes very susceptible to “beech snap” which is snapping off of large branches and even the entire trunk. This makes infected trees a hazard to those who have them on their property or who use trails where they are present. Furthermore, the lack of beech trees could reduce game populations where the seeds are an important food source, which in turn negatively affects hunting.

So what can the average landowner do to help? Single trees can be treated with chemicals, so if a tree in your yard is infected, you can help stop the spread and save your tree as well. For public lands, the best thing you can do is notify someone if you see signs in your local woods such as bleeding spots on trees, yellowing weak leaves, or a woolly, white covering on the bark. Help us save our beech trees and E-mail the Michigan DNR at DNR-Forestry@michigan.gov.

Elisabeth Stimmel

Rochester Hills