When it comes to Dutch elm disease, Regina is an ‘island’

Regina is an island when it comes to Dutch elm disease, according to a city entomologist.  

So far this year, three infected trees have been found in Regina, a similar number to previous years. But Russell Eirich says Regina is surrounded by the disease.  

“It’s through the Qu’Appelle Chain right now,” Eirich said. “It’s in Regina Beach, it’s in Fort Qu’Appelle. You’ve really got a good stretch of it north of Regina.” 

It was in Regina Beach where an outbreak several years ago ravaged the elm population.  

“Probably between 50 and 55 or 60 trees around the beach had to be removed,” the mayor of Regina Beach, George Schofield, said.  

The community was able to stop the spread, and since then has been budgeting to cover the cost of removing any infected trees.  

“If it’s a big tree in a tough place to get, I know it can be several thousand dollars just to remove it,” Schofield said.  

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It is an expense the Province of Saskatchewan used to help pay for, but several years ago, that budget was chopped. Now it is up to each community to look after the cost on its own, but it can be difficult for some towns and villages to handle, especially since the province says early numbers show Dutch elm disease is on the rise. 

“We did have a pretty warm winter last year, which may have supported better over wintering of the elm bark beetle, one of the vectors of Dutch elm disease,” said Jeff Gooliaff, insect and disease program specialist with the Ministry of Environment. 

So far provincial funding cuts have not hurt Regina too much, because the city has budgeting nearly $300,000 to beat the beetles that spread the disease.  

“We’re putting a lot of effort into our monitoring, trying to find the trees if there is, and we’re trying to be really vigilant in removing the trees when that comes,” Eirich said.  

With an elm population of 77,000, three in one year are pretty good odds – odds the city hopes to keep. In the three decades since the disease surfaced in Regina, 70 trees have died.  

A sign of Dutch elm disease is dry yellow leaves, and a whole corner of a tree that has died off. 

To prevent the spread of the disease, a pruning ban has been in place during the summer. The ban ends August 31.