“Beech leaf disease has moved through our region at an alarming pace,” said Starker Wright, Plant Health Care Manager and ISA Certified Arborist at Burkholder Plant Health Care. “The good news is that we now have research-backed tools that can significantly reduce nematode levels and improve tree health, and we’re ready to put that science to work for our clients’ beech trees.”
Burkholder’s new program centers on thiabendazole root-flare injections (the active ingredient in Arbotect® 20-S), a fungicide and nematicide long used in arboriculture to manage serious diseases such as Dutch elm disease and sycamore anthracnose. Recent research shows that properly timed injections can substantially lower BLD nematode populations and improve canopy quality, with protection lasting roughly two growing seasons.
The company also offers phosphite-based treatments as a complementary option, especially for smaller trees or as part of a long-term management program.
Phosphites can be applied via trunk microinjection, soil drench, or basal bark drench and work by stimulating the tree’s natural defense responses while helping to suppress disease symptoms.
Dark banding indicates beech leaf disease (BLD)
