Recently, there has been an increase in cases of leaf mining moth infestations affecting chestnuts in Odessa. This issue is not unique to our city but extends to many European cities.
Since 2017, to prevent the adverse effects of tree infestations, specialists from the municipal enterprise «Miskzelentrest» have been vaccinating chestnuts annually.
The vaccination process involves injecting a substance into the vascular tissue of the tree, allowing the treatment to disseminate within the leaves, making them inedible for the leaf mining moths. As a result, the larvae perish. This method of pest control is completely safe for both the environment and the trees themselves.
In 2025, a total of 1,000 trees were vaccinated.
Note
The leaf mining moth is a significant pest for chestnut trees. The larvae feed inside the leaves, leading to their destruction and causing considerable damage to urban chestnut plantings. In Europe, the damage caused by these pests is estimated to reach hundreds of millions of euros annually, raising concerns about the feasibility of cultivating chestnuts in cities. The harm inflicted by the larvae prevents the chestnut canopies from accumulating sufficient nutrients, thereby increasing the risk of winter dieback.
