Oak Wilt in the Canyon Lake Area Article 3 in the Oak Wilt Series - How to Live in the Hill Country Free of the Oak Wilt Threat
How to Live in the Hill Country Free of the Oak Wilt Threat
There is a difference between living under the threat of oak wilt verses co-existing with oak wilt without threat. To understand this statement, you must first realize that oak wilt has become part of the Hill Country eco system. Over 65 counties in Texas have been impacted by oak wilt with trees dying at epidemic proportions. In Comal County, there are currently 10 plus known active oak wilt hot spots and four of those are in Canyon Lake.
Under the current protocol, oak wilt will never be completely eradicated and will continue to spread. I am not aware of a single community that has been successful in eradicating the disease. In fact, every report that I have read shows that oak wilt has caused devastation and at best, with very limited success.
The bottom line is, oak wilt is here to stay and it is only going to continue to increase throughout the Hill Country.
The Best Strategy is to be Proactive in Monitoring and Mitigation Efforts
The best strategy is to embrace the reality of its reach and to be proactive in monitoring and mitigation efforts. If done correctly, it will put your community ahead of the curve and enable property owners to live without the threat of the devastation of oak wilt. The communities that are devastated are those who have no plan and are caught off guard and unprepared. Communities that are not actively monitoring and mitigating for oak wilt find that it is almost impossible to recover and are forced to live with the oak wilt destruction and stigma that the disease brings.
Two New Hot Spots in the Mystic Shores Area have been Detected Within the Last 3 Months
Here at Canyon Lake, there is a perfect storm brewing for the oak wilt to strike. I have discovered 2 new undetected hot spots within the Mystic Shores area in only 3 months and based upon my data, there are likely many more hot spots in the area that have not yet been detected.
The only way to live without the imminent threat of the oak wilt strike is to have an active, ongoing monitoring and mitigation campaign in the community. Such a campaign does not prevent it from coming but will moderate the spread and impact at levels that are less threatening.
There are Two Sides to the Oak Wilt Coin – Monitoring and Mitigation
To explain the process a bit clearer, think of oak wilt having two sides of a coin. The first side is monitoring and the other side is mitigation. Tribemania is already deeply involved in the monitoring side. We have detected many oak wilt sites and continue to monitor trees for oak wilt. We have already detected four hot spots in the Canyon Lake area in the past 3 months, one of those within the last week.
The second side of the oak wilt coin is mitigation. Mitigation requires a personalized plan and involvement from people within the community. Mitigation also requires funds and vendors who provide services such as trenching.
Tribemania Tree Services has developed an Oak Wilt Monitoring Membership geared toward the early detection of oak wilt through layers of techniques involving monitoring existing hot spots, understanding spread patterns and looking for potential new hot spots. Our monitoring efforts generate maps, reports, data and other information that you as a property owner will have access to that puts your community ahead of the curve of oak wilt spreading undetected in your neighborhood. As a member, you will also have access to a private Facebook group that allows conversations to take place with neighbors and other members that want to be part of the solution, along with additional useful information on oak wilt and keeping trees healthy.
Tribemania Tree Services include: