Protecting Chestnuts from Leaf-mining Moths
In recent years, the incidence of chestnuts being attacked by the dangerous pest - the leaf-mining moth - has increased. The caterpillars feed inside the leaves, causing significant damage to urban chestnut plantings.
To prevent negative impacts, specialists from the municipal enterprise «Miskzelentrest» have been injecting a special vaccine into chestnuts annually since 2017.
An injection hole is made in the vascular tissue of the tree, allowing the medication to spread inside the leaves, rendering them inedible for the leaf-mining moth. As a result of this procedure, the larvae die.
The mixture of insecticides and fungicides used in the injections is not tolerated by the leaf-mining moth and provides an effective method for both preventing and eliminating the pest if it has already attacked the tree.
According to representatives of the «Miskzelentrest», this pest control method is permitted in populated areas as it is completely safe for the environment and trees.
This year, there are plans to vaccinate 995 chestnuts.
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The leaf-mining moth is one of the main dangerous pests of the horse chestnut, causing serious damage to urban tree plantings. The caterpillars feed on the sap and tissues of the leaves, leading to their wilting and can even cause tree death. During the growing season, the moths can produce up to three generations.
In addition to the damage caused, the leaf-mining moth acts as a carrier of viral infections, contributing to the trees' infection with other diseases.
Multiple studies have shown that the most effective way to combat the leaf-mining moth is through injection into the tree trunk. This method effectively addresses both the moth and other insects and diseases that infest the trees.
