Conkers under threat as vicious European bug spreads across the nation

A KILLER disease and lethal insects are threatening to wipe out the famous horse chestnut trees which produce conkers.

Experts fear the devastating impact of the leaf minor moth could spell the end for the beloved tree.

4

4

4

This exotic pest first appeared in 2002 in Wimbledon and has been spreading at an estimated rate of 60 miles per year.

The creature is originally from Macedonia and tunnels through leaves from the inside, causing them to turn pale or brown.

The trees' ability to photosynthesise (convert light into energy) is hampered along with the size of the conkers produced.

A secondary cause has added to the doom and gloom facing horse chestnut trees, namely bleeding canker.

This fungal disease cause the tree to ooze black liquid and eventually die.

RELATED STORIES

Child's play

Do you see people, trees or fire? This simple test will show if you think like a child

SILLY BILLIES!

Incredible pictures show daredevil goats perched high up TREES to reach their favourite berries

WHAT A VIC-TREE!

Millionaire ordered to chop down 80ft trees as neighbours complain they could topple on their homes

It's a plague

Moths which feed on clothes are sweeping through wardrobes after the 'perfect' summer for breeding

Since 2002 a  project has been studying the impact of bleeding canker on Britain’s horse chestnut trees.

They said on their website: "Bleeding canker disease caused the death or removal of 11% of white horse-chestnuts and 27% of red horse-chestnuts.

"Trees that were infected by the disease, but were still alive, showed a decrease in growth and a decline in crown condition."

Conkers are used by millions of kids in childhood games.

4

There are still 470,000 horse chestnut trees in the UK but experts fear there could be just five years to find a solution to the crisis.

Dr Glynn Percival, manager of the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory at the University of Reading, told "Horse chestnuts have got maybe another five years unless we get the issues under control.

"The trees are living off their own natural resources. They're brown and crispy when everything else is green. No energy is being produced."

Britain’s two million horse chestnuts currently comprise 12 per cent of all the island's tree species.

But Dr Percival at this rate it could drop to just one per cent within 15 years.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368