Oak Wilt & Diseased Stump Removal in the Hill Country

Oak wilt is the single biggest threat to the Hill Country canopy. The Texas A&M Forest Service estimates oak wilt has killed millions of live oaks and red oaks across central Texas, and the disease is most aggressive in exactly the counties we serve: Kendall, Kerr, Bandera, Comal, Gillespie, and northern Bexar.

If you've already lost an oak to wilt, the stump that's left behind is not just an eyesore — it's the most dangerous part of the tree. Here's why, and here's what we do about it.

How Oak Wilt Spreads From a Stump

There are two transmission pathways. A leftover oak stump enables both of them.

Root grafts (the silent killer). Live oaks in the Hill Country don't grow as isolated trees — they grow in mottes connected by underground root systems. When one tree dies of wilt, the fungus moves through the shared roots and kills its neighbors. The dead stump and intact root mass are the bridge. Until the stump is ground out and the roots severed, every healthy oak within 100 feet is at risk.

Sap-feeding beetles. A freshly cut or freshly broken oak stump bleeds sap. From late February through June, that sap attracts Nitidulid beetles that carry oak wilt spores from infected trees miles away. One landed beetle, one open wound, one new infection.

The Texas A&M Forest Service recommends two specific actions for any oak removal in central Texas: (1) avoid pruning or cutting oaks between February 1 and June 30, and (2) for any cut you do make, apply wound paint within 15 minutes — but stumps are too large for paint to be effective. Grinding is the answer.

Our Oak Wilt Protocol

When you call us about an oak stump in any of the high-pressure Hill Country counties, we follow this protocol on every job:

1. Diagnostic visit. We confirm whether the tree died of oak wilt (telltale leaf veins, fungal mat under the bark) or another cause. This affects mulch disposal.
2. Grind below grade. Standard residential cuts go 4-6 inches below soil. For oak wilt-positive stumps we go deeper (8+ inches) to sever the lateral root grafts that propagate the disease.
3. Mulch containment. Diseased oak mulch is never spread on your property or anywhere else. We haul it off in a contained trailer and either bury it deep, burn it on a permitted burn site, or send it to a facility with high-temperature composting that kills the fungus.
4. Trench between trees if requested. For high-value mottes, we can trench 4 feet deep between the dead tree and healthy neighbors to physically sever root grafts. This is the only proven way to stop active spread underground.
5. Documentation. You get a written report you can show your insurance company, your HOA, or the next buyer of your property.

Pricing Honesty

Oak wilt jobs cost more than standard stump grinding. There's a real reason: we have to dispose of the mulch carefully (which costs us money), we grind deeper, and we sanitize equipment between jobs to avoid carrying the fungus to the next property. Expect to pay 30-50% more than a standard residential grind.

We tell you that up front because the alternative — a "cheap" grinding job from someone who spreads diseased mulch on the next customer's flower bed — is how the disease spread to your tree in the first place.

Service Area

We follow the oak wilt protocol on every job in:

• Kendall County — Boerne, Comfort, Sisterdale
• Kerr County — Kerrville, Ingram, Hunt, Mountain Home
• Bandera County — Bandera, Pipe Creek, Medina
• Comal County — Bulverde, Spring Branch, Canyon Lake
• Gillespie County — Fredericksburg, Stonewall
• Northern Bexar — Helotes, Fair Oaks Ranch

What to Do Right Now

If you suspect a tree on your property has oak wilt, the worst thing you can do is wait. Every week the stump sits, the underground spread continues. Call (210) 972-3247 today. We'll schedule a free diagnostic visit within five business days and give you an honest assessment — including telling you when the tree is not oak wilt and a cheaper standard grind is fine.

For more on identifying oak wilt yourself, the Texas A&M Forest Service maintains a detailed guide at texasoakwilt.org.