Protect trees – report pests and disease

Help keep our forests and woodlands healthy. 

Always check your kit is clean before walking (with or without a dog) or cycling in forests and woodlands.

Visiting and using woodlands

Find out about other preventative steps forest owners and managers can take to stop pest and disease introductions.

Prevent pests and diseases

Don’t risk bringing plant pests and diseases into the UK. When travelling abroad, leave plants, seeds, flowers, fruit and vegetables behind. 

This new video animation explains the risks of bringing animal and plant products into Great Britain. 

It highlights the potentially devastating impacts that contaminated products can have on farming communities and the environment. 

Report suspicious symptoms on any tree in Scotland to TreeAlert using the general enquiry webform.

Use TreeAlert (Forest Research website)

The web form asks for:

• your contact details
• the location of the sighting
• clear photographs of the affected tree(s) in context and the symptoms

For more information on what to include in your report, visit the ‘TreeAlert - what to do page’.

What do you need to make your report (Forest Research website)

Once you submit your report, diagnosticians at Forest Research will review it. They may contact you to request additional details.

Any suspected findings of regulated pests or pathogens will be sent to our Tree Health Officers for follow-up.

Use the Observatree resource library to find free:

• symptom guides
• fact sheets
• training materials
• and much more

Field identification guides (Observatree website)

Track down Observatree’s Host of the Month.

Can you find this month’s pest or disease and score top marks in the quiz?

Contact the Forest Research Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service.

Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service (Forest Research website)

The service covers trees wherever they grow including:

• woods
• farmland
• shelterbelts
• urban areas
• nurseries
• Christmas tree plantations

Charges may apply. 

Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service Charges (Forest Research website)

Consult the Forest Research pest and disease resource library.

Pest and disease resources (Forest Research website)

The Forest Research ‘tree health learning pathway for citizens’ gives guidance for every age and ability to develop knowledge and skills for tree health.

Tree Health Learning Pathway for Citizens (Forest Research website)

Members of the Royal Society of Biology can apply to join the Plant Health Professional Register. 

Plant Health Professional Register (Royal Society of Biology website)

As well as the Royal Society of Biology there are other organisations that sometimes offer:

• tree pest and disease identification courses 
• funding for student research projects on plant health

Note that these lists are not exhaustive.  They are not an endorsement by Scottish Forestry of the content or selection criteria (for which we have no responsibility). 

Always check our website for the latest tree health regulations.

Organisations offering tree health training courses include:

• Arboricultural Association
• Institute for Chartered Foresters
• Royal Scottish Forestry Society

Bursaries for student research projects on plant health are sometimes offered by:

• British Society for Plant Pathology
• Scottish Forestry Trust