Reporting tree diseases & pests in the UK

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.