Is this kretzchmaria deusta

[CharlieHL]

Hi,

This is a photo from the base of a Beech.
Is it kretzchmaria deusta?

If so, am I right to assume it should come down if near to where we will build our house?

Thank you

Charlie

 

[ATH]

Possible? Hard to tell from those pics. If it is near where a house is to be built probably worth $18 to get it tested. Learned about a place: http://www.vetdna.com where you can take a sample, ask them what to look for and they'll let you know if the DNA is there.

Yes' I'd remove it if it is Kretschmaria and near a future build. That is bad news for long-term stability. Do the removal now while it is cheap. If it were already near an existing structure I'd recommend further evaluation and an aggressive monitoring schedule if it is not an immediate threat...

 

[Jason Douglas]

Very well could be, certainly one of the crust/paint fungi.

Can be quite devastating to beech in particular and causes significant wood strength loss.

Test as ATH said and try resources like treerot.com.

Schwarze has published quite a bit regarding Kretz.

 

[CharlieHL]

Very well could be, certainly one of the crust/paint fungi.

Can be quite devastating to beech in particular and causes significant wood strength loss.

Test as ATH said and try resources like treerot.com.

Schwarze has published quite a bit regarding Kretz.

Thank you