How to Manage Pests

Pest identification and confirmation—Oak root fungus

To confirm the presence of Armillaria, look for thin white leathery patches of fungus by carefully peeling the bark away from the trunk just below the soil line; if the fungus has not girdled the vine, check several areas. The fungus has a characteristic fresh mushroom odor and occasionally after a heavy rain in fall it may form clusters of mushrooms at the base of infected vines. Dark shoestringlike structures develop and grow into the healthy underground tissue.

White, leathery mycelium under the bark

Mushrooms may form at the base of vines