SASKATOON – Starting Friday, annual regulations are back in place to prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease (DED). City of Saskatoon officials say the best management strategy involves depriving the elm bark beetle of its breeding habitat.
The beetles transmit DED and are attracted to freshly-pruned elm trees. Pruning trees is prohibited province-wide when the insects are most active between April 1 and Aug. 31.
DED is caused by a fungus that clogs the American elm tree’s water conducting system, which can cause it to die within one or two seasons.
The first case of DED in Saskatoon was identified in July 2015, in the Queen Elizabeth neighbourhood. To contain the disease, the infected tree was removed by the city.
READ MORE: No more Dutch elm disease found in Saskatoon
Regular pruning, when permitted, keeps elm trees healthy and less attractive to the beetles, which live and breed in dead wood. Elm removal can occur year-round; however, the entire tree must be removed and taken to the Saskatoon landfill.
Anyone wanting to do some pruning during the ban must call the city’s parks division at 306-975-3300 to obtain a permit.
Symptoms of the disease usually appear by July when leaves wilt, turn yellow and then die. The city asks anyone who suspects a tree is infected to call 306-975-2890.
DED was first discovered in 1981 in Saskatchewan.
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