Pink Fungus Growing on Live Oaks

[TreeMike]

I live in central Florida. One customer has quite a few live oaks in his yard. In the last couple of years they have gotten a bright pink fungus growing on the trunk and some of the larger branches. All the live oaks in his yard has it and they are all severly stressed. I just passed my arborist Cert. test and this is my first diagnosis job. Any Ideas. Also what is a fair price if I save them?

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

Here is a start for you since you have a computer. Do a Google search on "Live Oak Fruiting bodies"

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Can you post a picture of the trees?
As for pricing, most guys have a standard fee to come out and diagnose tree problems, then a second fee for any treatment that may be needed.
We typically don't charge to diagnose common problems, but just consider it part of the cost of doing business. If there needs to be tissue sampling or other testing, we will do it for our cost plus maybe $10 or $15. We make money only on treatments.
It may seem foolish to do free diagnosing, but it fosters good will with the customers and keeps us up to date on tree problems, by giving us lots of practice figuring things out.
Plus, it gets our foot in the door, as they say. Every lot with trees needs some kind of work. While we're looking at the disease problems, we're also looking at all the other work that may need doing.
That probably didn't help, you're probably thinking of a more specific dollar amount, so with that in mind, I'd say a qualified arborist could charge $50 to $150 to go to the site, diagnose the problem, possibly send in a sample, and recommend a course of action.

 

[darkstar]

?

If its the same fungis ive seen it is a killer. Is it surpy? Red to pink and a big blob. If so the trees need help immediatly.

 

[TreeMike]

It is the same shape as the white lichens that grow on oak trees. I can't post a pic because I don't have the technology. The trees are dropping their leaves and what leaves are remaining are chloritic. Its only growing on the oaks. The rest of the trees in the yard are healthy.

 

[treeseer]

Mike, get the technology. Digicams sell for what now, $150?

Why not whack off a sample of the fungus and take it to your county ag extension agent? Maybe the Master Gardeners will look it up for you--put your taxe$ to work!

Mike M, your boss must have a good idea of what your diagnosis time is worth, if he's giving it away. Haha just kidding.:monkey:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Mike M, your boss must have a good idea of what your diagnosis time is worth, if he's giving it away. Haha just kidding.:monkey:

If you get a call to diagnose a flowering crab problem, drive out and see its only problem is apple scab, then sell a spray program, are you going to tell me you also tack on a $150 consultation fee?
We just look at disease diagnosis as a bid, which it usually is. You do it to get repeat treatment customers.
Sometimes you get the do-it-yourselfers, but that doesn't bother me a bit.
You get out there and talk to customers, they like you, you get work.
I can see how this method would fail for you though...hahaha... just kidding.

 

[geofore]

cameras

A cheap throw away camera $4.00, have wally mart put the pics on a disc for you, $8.00 then post it here. I know because the kids ran off with the digital and I was stuck for a camera. Your computer can't read a disc? Have wally mart put the pics on the internet for you, free. Don't give me excuses, do a work around the problem.

 

[Chris Francis]

Consultation versus estimate

When you go to the doctor, do you expect him to see you for free in hopes of selling you some prescription? Of course not. And if he did, would you really trust his opinion, or would you suspect he would be trying to push some drugs on you that you really don't need?

Here's how I do it: If you know exactly what you want, you get a free estimate. If you don't know what you want, what bug you have, or you want to know if your tree will fall on your house, then you need a consult. I do the consults myself, and I charge for them. Most of the estimates are performed by others, and that eliminates people trying to get free information. Whenever I do the estimates, I make it clear that I am there to do an estimate, but a consultation is available for a fee. When people still try to beat the system, I stick to my guns. Most people get it, but occasionally I get someone that says they don't need a consult, but when I get there, the first question they ask is something to the tune of, "What do you think of this tree?"

I am more than okay with someone picking my brain for advice and information as long as I am being paid for my time. Then, I would love to get more work from the clients, but they can hire someone else or do the work themselves, but I am okay either way.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

Another possibility:

The fungus has nothing to do with the tree decline, or it is a dead wood rotter and not pathogenic (killer of live sapwood, cambium, phloem, leaves, roots). That is why you have to ID it!

It might even be a harmless slime mold -- these are often in bright colors.

Start with a Golden Guide and work up to one with diagnostic keys, such as "Mushrooms Demystified" by Arora, although the latter is focused on the west Coast, it will work nationally for most fungi.

Try putting some key words in Google:

I put in: "orange fungus live oak"

and came up with this useful pub from U of Georgia on diseases of live oaks, complete with photos:

Key to Diseases of Oaks in the Landscape | CAES Publications | UGA

 

[Chris Francis]

Pink stuff on live oak tree

Trees are our life,save it and keep it is our duty..


We make money only on treatments.
It may seem foolish to do free diagnosing, but it fosters good will with the customers and keeps us up to date on tree problems, by giving us lots of practice figuring things out.

I disagree with the part I highlighted in red. Sure, you can make money on treatments, but you can also make money on diagnosis. You run your show however you want to, but I don't feel bad at all about charging to tell someone about his/her plant(s), whether I know what the problem is or I have to figure it out. And from my experience, the customer appreciates that they are dealing with a professional that can be trusted. Some of my clients wish to do the work themselves, and they just need to know what to do. Why would I give away that information? If someone has a pest problem, but does not want to pay for a consult, I can still give him/her a free estimate on treating it, but I will not give away free information about what it is, how to treat it, or if it is even a problem. And if you ask any of my clients that have purchased a consult, I think you will be hard pressed to find anyone that did not see value in it. On my website, I even have a list of common questions people have that are addressed in a typical consult. When it comes down to it, there are only so many hours in the day, and I would rahter be spending those with my family and having fun; so, if I'm going to have to drive to your house and have liability looking at your trees, I will have to be compensated for it.

The fungus the OP is talking about is called Christmas wreath lichen (Cryptothecia rubrocincta). It does not hurt the tree. Here is more information on it:

Christmas Wreath Lichen, Cryptothecia rubrocincta | Center for Environmental Communication | Loyola University New Orleans

Cryptothecia rubrocincta, the Christmas lichen-- Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for December 2006