Laurel Wilt Disease

Florida has a robust economy based in large part on the agricultural industry and to a lesser extent revenue sourced from fruit trees such as citrus. Avocado trees are also a part of the fruit trade and recently a disease has arrived that is devastating the avocado tree and its family relative the red bay tree. The redbay ambrosia beetle is host to a fungus that disrupts the transportation of water and nutrients within an infected red bay or avocado tree causing the tree to wilt and eventually die. Identification and removal of potentially infested trees is essential if we want to eradicate this disease and save our beloved Avocado and Redbay trees. Links to information on the diseases and who to report potentially infected trees to is listed below.

Photograph Courtesy of James Johnson, Georgia Forestry Commission

Note frass tubes left by feeding Redbay Ambrosia Beetles.

Redbay Ambrosia Beetle     Laurel Wilt Disease