Stavropol named the reason for the early decay of chestnuts

Horse chestnuts growing in the main alleys of Stavropol have been decaying and crumbling since July. The reason lies not in the heat: in the leaves of the trees, which are considered one of the symbols of the city, there is a pest — a mining moth.

The insect is native to the Balkan Peninsula and appeared in the regional center a couple of decades ago. At the same time, the moth does not spread to other tree species, but is a specific pest.

"The caterpillar climbs into the leaf and creates "mines" in it. The plant begins to weaken, the foliage prematurely dies and falls off. The tree ceases to be hardy and becomes particularly susceptible to frost and disease damage, and loses its appearance," explained Vladimir Kozhevnikov, head of the city's Botanical Garden.

So, because of the moth, I had to cut down the chestnuts on Dzerzhinsky Street, writes the StavropolMedia news agency. The branches began to dry out and the plants began to look ugly.

The mayor's office of the city called the cause of the deterioration of the health of chestnuts not only a pest, but also age-related changes. According to experts, trees are shrinking due to pathogens that reduce the stability and longevity of the plant.

In addition, chestnut trees are planted in crowded areas, and chemical pest control methods should not be used, so as not to endanger the lives and health of citizens.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.