Grey squirrels spread tree disease
Concern is growing that the spread of Phytophthora ramorum, which causes extensive damage and mortality to trees in the United Kingdom, is closely linked to grey squirrels.Anecdotal evidence now suggests that trees damaged by grey squirrels are particularly prone to infection and grey squirrels themselves are carrying disease spores from tree to tree. Phytophthora ramorum, a fungus-link pathogen of plants, is killing large numbers of Japanese Larch in the UK. Prior to 2009 few trees were affected, however since 2010 the disease was initially found on Japanese Larches, particularly in