Merchtem (Eurotoday) – Hugo De Breucker, 71 years old, in Merchtem, faces walnut losses from the North American walnut borer fly. Koen Es and Alain De Cré confirm that nuts blacken and trees die early.
As VRT News reported, Hugo De Breucker, a 71-year-old from Lindestraat in Merchtem, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, loses walnuts to the North American walnut borer fly. Koen Es of Meise Botanic Garden explains that the female fly lays eggs in the husk of growing walnuts. The hatchlings feed on the fruit tissue. This results in the nuts turning black and becoming useless. It has been reported that the pest is spreading in Belgian gardens and can severely reduce yields from a tree that is impacted.
“The fly has been in Belgium since 2018 and is causing increasing damage,”
Koen Es of Meise Botanic Garden says.
What is causing walnut losses on Hugo De Breucker’s Merchtem tree?
The damage caused by the walnut borer fly is not limited to the nuts. The trees themselves are also affected. Alain De Cré from Naturpunt Merchter has seen walnut trees dying earlier than expected.
“We have planted more than 1,300 fruit trees, including walnut trees,”
he says.
“Some die after only 30 to 35 years, even though walnut trees can usually live up to a hundred years.”
“Spraying poison is no longer allowed, and I don’t want to. Cutting down the tree? No, I can’t bring myself to do that,”
Hugo De Breucker said.
For Hugo De Breucker, the situation is serious. He has watched the harvest from his tree shrink and worries about its future. He hopes that an environmentally safe solution to fight the walnut borer fly will be found soon. Until then, he continues to collect and bury the blackened nuts to stop the insect from spreading.
He mentioned that for 45 years, he had harvested nuts from the tree each season. He often collected buckets full and gave them to neighbours and friends. “I love eating them fresh,” he says. He stated that in the past 2 years, the harvest has sharply declined. The nuts, especially on the east and south sides of the tree, have started turning black. At first, Hugo thought it was the sun, but the problem continued.
In 2018, Europe reported the presence of the walnut husk fly, a North American pest that has since spread to Belgium. This insect has been shown to significantly reduce walnut yields. Experts have identified the risk of infestations that rapidly deteriorate the crop and cause premature fruit drop. Ongoing research is exploring environmentally and ecologically safe pest control methods to help restore walnut trees damaged by this pest.
Comments
12 responses to “Walnut Borer Flies Threaten Tree of Hugo De Breucker in Merchtem”
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You know, nothing screams “European gardening” quite like a North American fly invading your walnut tree. Bravo, Hugo! Just when you thought it was all about the nuts, nature throws a proper curveball 🙄🌰.
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Typical, isn’t it? Just when you think you’ve got a handle on your walnuts, along come the North American pests to ruin the party. 🍂💔
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Looks like Hugo’s walnut tree is getting a crash course in pest management from the North American ‘fly-by-night’ crew. Who knew that blackened nuts would be the latest trend in Merchtem? 😂🍂
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Looks like Hugo’s tree is getting a taste of American hospitality—thanks, walnut borer flies! 🍂 Who needs a thriving garden when you can collect blackened nuts instead? 😂
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Seems like Hugo’s walnut tree is having a midlife crisis, courtesy of some North American pests. Who knew that flying nuisances could ruin a good nut harvest? 😂🍂
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Just when you thought your walnut tree was safe, along comes the North American fly—because who doesn’t love a little pest drama in their garden? 🌰✈️ Might as well start serving nuts as a gourmet dish of blackened disappointment!
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Seems like Hugo’s walnut tree is having a rather unfortunate run-in with a fly that’s not exactly a local celebrity. Burying blackened nuts? What a charming way to keep the neighborhood entertained! 🤷♂️
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Seems like the walnut borer fly has decided to throw a rave at Hugo’s tree – who knew pests could be so fashionable? 🍂 But hey, at least now he can count on a steady supply of blackened nuts for his next gourmet dish. 😂
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Only in Belgium would a fly manage to ruin a man’s walnut harvest—talk about a nutty situation! 🌰💔 Maybe we should start a “Save Hugo’s Walnuts” campaign, or just invite the flies for a drink; they seem to be the real party crashers here! 🍻😅
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Bloody hell, Hugo must be thrilled to see his walnut tree turn into a blackened mess, all thanks to a fly that decided to take a European holiday in his garden. 🍂 Cheers to biodiversity, eh? 🥳
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Seems like Hugo’s walnuts are having a midlife crisis, all thanks to our American pals, the borer flies. Who knew that flying pests would become the newest trend in Belgian gardens? 🐞🙄
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Why worry about a fly when you could be having a lovely pint at the pub instead? 🍻 Let’s just hope Hugo’s walnut tree has better luck than our economy! 😂
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