In recent years, there has been an increase in cases of chestnuts being affected by a dangerous pest - the leaf miner. The caterpillars live and feed inside the leaves, leading to the destruction of the foliage and causing significant harm to urban chestnut plantations.
To prevent negative outcomes, specialists from the municipal enterprise «City Green Trust» have been vaccinating chestnuts with a special vaccine annually since 2017.
An opening is made to inject the vaccine into the vascular tissue of the tree, allowing the medication to spread inside the leaves, rendering them inedible for the leaf miner. As a result, the larvae die.
A mixture of insecticides and fungicides is ineffective against the chestnut leaf miner and serves as an effective method for both prevention and treatment when the pest has already attacked the tree.
According to the City Green Trust, this pest control method is permitted in populated areas as it is completely safe for the environment and the trees.
This year, there are plans to vaccinate 995 chestnuts.
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The chestnut leaf miner is one of the primary 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 withering and can result in the death of the tree. Throughout the growing season, the moth can produce up to three generations.
In addition to the damage caused, the leaf miner is a vector for viral infections, contributing to the trees being infected with other diseases.
Research has shown that the most effective method to combat the leaf miner is through injections into the trunk of the tree. This method can effectively combat both the leaf miner and other insects and diseases that parasitize the trees.
