That chemical kills the elm bark beetle, which carries the Dutch Elm fungus on its legs. The new treatment kills the fungus itself for up to three years. And since it is applied at the root, it provides zero risk of any human exposure. Another notable elm getting the protection is next to the new Biochemistry building, and is the largest tree on campus. Because the Dutch Elm epidemic decimated trees nationwide, Einstein says it is rare to find a thriving stand of trees as large as the one on Bascom.
Stands are especially vulnerable because the fungus spreads from tree to tree through the roots.
Chemical treatments on campus date back to the 1960s. There's something very appealing about a concentration of elms, because they are so big and they form these huge arboreal arches. We've got something very special here. The management plan also gives each elm tree the equivalent of a patient record. It lists the overall condition and a course of action, which ranges from doing nothing to intensive treatment.