Pest & Disease Hub

Tree Pests and Diseases in South East Queensland

What is attacking your tree, how to recognise it, when it strikes, and what actually works, written for the trees and conditions of South East Queensland.

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Leaf diseases

Anthracnose

Black spots on ripening mangoes and flowers that blacken and drop. Why wet weather drives it, and what reduces it.

Armillaria root rot

Honey-coloured mushrooms at the base and creamy fungus under the bark. Why it is rare in SEQ gardens, and serious where it occurs.

Read more → Insects

Bronze orange bug

The stink bug on your lemon tree that sprays when you get close. How to spot the nymphs early and remove them safely.

Brown root rot

The root rot killing Brisbane's heritage figs. How to recognise the stocking, how it spreads, and what to do with an infected tree.

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Caterpillars

Hairy caterpillars on gums, silk bags in wattles and white cedars stripped bare. Which ones sting, and why most trees recover.

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Frangipani rust

The orange powder under frangipani leaves. Why it rarely kills the tree, and what actually reduces it.

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Leaf beetles

Scalloped gum leaves, beetles that look like ladybirds, and swarms after summer rain. Why young trees suffer and old ones shrug it off.

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Mealybugs

White, cottony bugs tucked into stems, forks and fruit. How to tell them from the ladybird that eats them, and what keeps them down.

Mistletoe

Clumps of different leaves hanging in your gum tree. Why mistletoe is rarely the real problem, and when it is worth removing.

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Myrtle rust

The bright yellow rust on lilly pilly and native new growth. Identification, the plants it affects most, and what actually helps.

Phytophthora root rot

A soil-borne water mould behind the decline of many macadamias, grevilleas and other trees on poorly drained sites. Identification, diagnosis and management.

Possum damage

Shoots and leaves gone overnight, with no insects to be found. How to tell it is possums, and how to protect a tree without harming them.

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Powdery mildew

The white powder on crepe myrtle and mango leaves. Why it usually is not serious, and what reduces it.

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Psyllids and lerps

White spots on gum leaves and pimply new lilly pilly leaves. Why most gums need no treatment, and how to keep a lilly pilly hedge clean.

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Scale insects

Small waxy bumps on stems and leaves, with ants running up the trunk. How to find scale, and how to treat it without killing what eats it.

Slime flux and wetwood

Dark, smelly ooze streaking down a trunk. Why it usually looks worse than it is, and what to do instead of drilling holes.

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Sooty mould

The black, sooty coating on lilly pilly and gum leaves. Why it is a sign of insects, and how to make it go away.

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Termites in trees

The termite behind most hollow eucalypts, and most termite damage to Australian homes. Identification, tree risk and treatment.

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Tree borers

Sawdust at the base, holes in the trunk and red sap bleeding from the bark. What is boring into your tree, and what actually helps.

Tree cankers

Sunken patches of dead bark and branch dieback. Why cankers appear after dry spells, and what actually fixes them.

Tree fungus

Brackets, mushrooms and crusts on trees: which ones mean dangerous decay, which are harmless, and what to do.

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Tree galls

Lumps on leaves, woody swellings on citrus stems and rolled fig leaves. Which galls matter, and which are harmless.

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Winter bronzing bug

Spotted gums turning red-brown in winter. What the tiny bug behind it does, and why most trees recover.

See how often each pest and disease turns up on SEQ jobs →