Tree surgeons have the responsibility to report any suspected pest or disease to the appropriate body, both for trees and plants.
When trees are affected by a disease or pest, the Forestry Commission (www.forestry.gov.uk) should be notified.
When plants are affected, the appropriate bodies are:
- the local Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) office (England and Wales)
- the Scottish Government’s Horticulture and Marketing Unit (HMU) (Scotland)
- the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) Plant Health Inspection Branch (Northern Ireland)
To report a disease on a tree, the Forestry Commission has set up a Tree Alert page where you can fill a form if you think you have spotted a disease or pest on trees.
Notifiable tree diseases include:
- Ash dieback
- Acute oak decline
- Chestnut blight
- Dutch elm disease
Notifiable tree pests include:
- Asian longhorn beetle
- Great spruce bark beetle
- Oak pinhole borer
- Oak processionary moth
You can find more details on tree diseases and tree pests on the Forestry Commission website.