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Camden New Journal - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 13 September 2007

Bleeding canker threatens conkers

A KILLER bug, coupled with an incurable disease, is threatening to wipe out Hampstead Heath’s conker trees.
Tree experts are battling to contain twin threats of a pest, known as a leaf miner, and a bacterial infection called bleeding canker.
They warn that if the two problems are not dealt with every conker tree on the Heath could die.
Canker, similar to Dutch Elm Disease which wiped out Britain’s elm population, has already killed Holland’s horse chestnuts. A case of canker, discovered in Golders Hill Park, led to the death of the tree.
As there is no known cure for the infection, Heath managers the City of London are bracing themselves for large numbers of trees becoming infected.
Heath tree specialist Ray Poole has been monitoring progress of the disease, spread through rainfall. He said: “This is a serious situation. Our conker trees are under threat. The Heath has well over 200 mature conker trees and a high number of saplings, all of which could be affected.”
Older trees are more susceptible, but Mr Poole has warned that a recent series of dry summers has meant all trees on the Heath could be affected. He added: “It is not good news. The wet summer was simply not enough.”
The other threat comes from a small bug called the leaf miner – a virulent pest that burrows into the leaves and eats the tree from the inside.
One way of attempting to contain the bug would be to spray a strong pesticide from the air over the Heath – but Mr Poole has ruled it out. He said: “That would kill more than the leaf miner alone, so it is not an option.”
Instead, volunteers are being enlisted to sweep up chestnut tree leaves this autumn. The bug’s pupae nest over winter in the leaves.

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