A fatal plant disease known as Laurel Wilt has spread to six new Kentucky counties – including four in western Kentucky – according to the state’s division of forestry.
Laurel Wilt is transmitted by small, non-native ambrosia beetles that bore into plants such as sassafras trees and spicebushes. Once the beetle enters the plant, the disease quickly spreads and blocks off the plant’s vascular system, causing it to wilt. It can be identified in sassafras trees through its wilting leaves that take on a reddish-brown color, and in both plants by what look like thin sawdust “toothpicks” hanging from branches and tree trunks.
Alexandra Blevins is a Forest Health Program Coordinator for Kentucky’s Division of Forestry. She says the disease’s fast contact-to-mortality rate and its effect on a key species of plants makes prevention vital.
“All it takes is one of these beetles. Only one – to bore into a tree and inoculate the tree – and then that tree is pretty much toast,” Blevins said. “We must realize that they are an inherent part of our ecosystem, and a lot of species actually rely on these two.”
Blevins said the agency is placing an emphasis on preventative measures because there is currently “no silver bullet” to get rid of the disease. She said the primary way to prevent the spread of Laurel Wilt is to avoid moving possibly infested firewood off of the land where it was gathered.
Blevins said the movement of infested timber is the main way the disease has been spread throughout the state.
“The real kicker here is preventing the movement of firewood. A lot of folks think, ‘Oh, firewood, it's just a piece of dead wood, there's nothing in there. It's harmless.’ In reality, that is the leading cause of how these invasive forest pests get moved around. It's really kind of our own fault,” said Blevins.
So far, confirmed cases have been detected in 24 counties since Laurel Wilt was first discovered in Kentucky in 2019. Most of the cases detected so far are in counties in the central and western portion of the state, with the latest additions being Carlisle, Crittenden, Livingston, and McCracken counties.
In a social media post announcing the discovery of the disease’s spread, the state’s division of forestry advised residents to contact their local county extension agent or regional KDF office if signs of Laurel Wilt are found on a property to ensure the infected plant is destroyed properly.
