SASKATOON – The provincial ban for pruning elm trees will be lifted Tuesday. Every year the regulations are in place to ensure elm bark beetles, which spread Dutch elm disease (DED), are not attracted to freshly-pruned trees in Saskatchewan.
Pruning elm trees is prohibited from April 1 to Aug. 31 when the insects are most active. DED is caused by a fungus that clogs the American elm tree’s water conducting system, which eventually causes it to die.
In July, the first case of DED was discovered in Saskatoon’s Queen Elizabeth neighbourhood. To contain the disease, the city removed the infected tree.
READ MORE: No more Dutch elm disease found in Saskatoon
By following the provincial regulations and maintaining elm trees on private property, they city says citizens can help prevent the spread of DED in Saskatoon.
Regular pruning, when permitted, makes elm trees less attractive to the beetles, which live and breed in dead wood. Storing elm firewood can spread DED and is illegal.
All elm tree waste and firewood must be taken to the nearest approved disposal site. In Saskatoon, it’s the landfill.
Anyone in the city who suspects a tree is infected should contact pest management at 306-975-3300.
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