Manage a tree pest or disease: overview
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-26)

Find out what you can do to prevent or help minimise the introduction, establishment, spread and impacts of tree pests and diseases in the UK.

There’s a lot you can do to help prevent or minimise the introduction, establishment, spread and impacts of tree pests and diseases.

The threat to our trees, woods, forests, parks and gardens from damaging insect pests and organisms such as bacteria and fungi is significant. Some organisms can damage or kill dozens of different plant species, including trees. They can be spread in many ways, such as:
- in the movements of plants, wood, and wood products
- by wind and water
- on vehicles, clothing, footwear, equipment and tools
As well as causing economic losses for the forestry, timber and plant-based industries, they can disrupt other sectors, such as tourism, and threaten woodland biodiversity, ecosystems and native species. The gardens of private homes are also under threat from tree pests and diseases, and private homeowners can help minimise the impact of tree diseases.

The following documents explain the approach to preventing and managing tree pests and diseases:

England tree health management plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tree-health-management-plan) covers a range of diseases and gives specific examples. It sets out management approaches to tackling a range of important pests and diseases. It also provides a framework for managing future threats, and the strategy underpinning the approaches

England tree health resilience strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tree-health-resilience-strategy-2018) builds on the Tree Health Management Plan and explains how the government will improve protection against pests and diseases, and how it will work with the industry and others to build resilience in our trees

plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plant-biosecurity-strategy-for-great-britain) an overview of the activity that Defra and the devolved administrations are undertaking to improve plant biosecurity

Report a tree pest or disease

Use TreeAlert (http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/treealert) to report a suspected tree pest or disease to Forest Research, Forestry Commission, Scottish Forestry and Natural Resources Wales.

Find out about a specific tree pest or disease (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-a-specific-tree-pest-or-disease), including its lifecycle, the damage it does, and what you can do.

Tree health funding

If your woodland has been affected by a pest or disease, you might be eligible for funding to improve tree and woodland health.

Tree health pilot

The tree health pilot (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tree-health-pilot-scheme-2024) scheme is testing different ways of slowing the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees in England. There are grants available for:
- larch trees with Phytophthora ramorum
- spruce trees with or at risk of Ips typographus (eight-toothed spruce bark beetle)
- sweet chestnut trees with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
- oak trees with oak processionary moth
- ash trees with ash dieback
Woodland tree health grant

The Woodland tree health grant (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodland-tree-health-grants-2025) is part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme. There are 2 grants in this scheme:
- restoration grant: provides support for restocking woodland after felling due to a tree health issue
- improvement grant: provides support for the removal of trees and rhododendron infected with either Phytophthora ramorum, Phytophthora pluvialis or Phytophthora kernoviae
Importing and exporting wood and timber products

Refer to Importing and exporting wood, timber and wood products (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/importing-and-exporting-wood-and-timber-products) for plant health regulations governing the import, export and some inland movements of wood and wood products.

Useful resources

UK Plant Health Information Portal (https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/): a hub for plant health information, data and resources.

UK Plant Health Risk Register (https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/pests-and-diseases/uk-plant-health-risk-register/): a tool to help guide action against pests and diseases that threaten our crops, trees, woods, forests, gardens and countryside.

Read how biosecurity can prevent the introduction and spread of tree pests and diseases (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the-introduction-and-spread-of-tree-pests-and-diseases).

Sign up to Plant Health Forestry news (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sign-up-for-updates-from-the-forestry-commission#sign-up-to-plant-health-forestry-news) for the latest information on tree and woodland health.

Find out more about identifying and reporting suspected tree pest and diseases (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tree-pests-and-diseases).

Follow the Forestry Commission on X (https://twitter.com/ForestryComm) for updates on forestry grants, regulations and tree health in England.