Horse Chestnut leaf miner moth

There's been a few posts posts in the past, but I can't find anything recent (although I posted something myself last year!).

Traps are now appearing on local Conker trees, but I'm sure they weren't there when the moths were about earlier this year, as we walk past these trees nearly every day.



It's like Autumn around the local trees, all the leaves are dead and falling. I took this pic on 16th August last year, but I reckon the drought has accelerated things this year and the leaves are all red, crisp, and falling on many trees.

 

I think it has been a problem for quite a few years now.
Interesting that they now have traps to try and combat this pest.

I'm not well up on the life cycle, so dont really know when is the best time for the traps

 

I think that I can remember reading that although this pest would prematurely kill their leaves, it wouldn't kill the trees, but there might have been something about that being different if additional factors were involved, such as this summer's drought, which may have prompted installation of all these traps.

All I've ever read on the subject came back in a flash as soon as Mrs Scrungee said "what are those bird feeders doing up in those trees?" I suppose they might look a bit like chicken feeders hanging in the trees to poultry keepers.

 

I think there is a disease of Horse Chestnut that is probably more of a tree killer than the leaf miner.
I've seen young ones leaking sap from the trunk and branches, the tree then slowly dies.
"Bleeding Canker" seems to be its name.

 

Already in my local area, the leaves of the Horse Chestnut are well brown and falling, such a shame. Sadly, although this doesn't sound the death knell for the tree, who knows. The leaves of any plant act as a shield against attacks. A plant albiet a tree or shrub whatever, having lost it's leaves it has to be vunerable, in time to viral and or bacterial attacks. Fingers crossed.

 

My local Royal Park, Greenwich. Has an avenue along the outside of the flower gardens. This avenue is home to many very ancient Sweet Chestnut trees. These grand old ladies have sadly become victims of 20/21st century pests and diseases. This beautiful island that is our home, once covered in forests and now continually be raped by developers and those who have a dislike for trees, and now all these pests and diseases. I cringe and become very emotional when I hear the chain saws at work. OK perhaps there is little we can do regarding prevention of pests & diseases, but. Why is the life sustaining benefits of trees, so ignored?