Weyburn's Dutch Elm Disease Problem: How Bad Is It?

During the months of June and July, the City of Weyburn's Parks Department conducted surveys within the community to find out how many trees were infected with Dutch Elm Disease in Weyburn.

"There were eight positive confirmed cases of Dutch Elm Disease within the areas of the city," stated Parks Manager Curtis Block. "All those identified trees have been removed and disposed of."

The Dutch Elm Disease is an incurable fungal disease that kills Elm Trees and once the tree is infected the only course of action is to completely remove and dispose of the tree.

"The fungus is primarily spread by the Elm Bark Beetle and to help control and suppress this beetle we perform a process that's called basal spraying," Block shared. "This is done with a backpack sprayer on the bottom half metre of an Elm Tree with an insecticide."

The City of Weyburn will be contacting and notifying the residents affected in the identified areas where the disease was found.

The areas of the city that they will be spraying the pesticide in will be First Avenue South to 10th Avenue South; Government Road to Confederation Drive NW; First Avenue NW to Third Avenue NW; Scott Crescent to Elgin Street; Saskatchewan Drive; First Avenue N to Fifth Avenue N; Fifth Street to King Street; First Avenue NE to Eaglesham Avenue; and 16th Street to Dieppe Drive.

Residents also have the opportunity to authorize City Parks staff property access to treat privately-owned elms.

Residents unsure if they have elm trees on their property (and live within the neighborhoods noted above) can apply for the free program to authorize Parks staff to inspect and treat your trees, if identified as elms.

Homeowners can apply for the basal spraying program online on the City website or they can contact the Parks Department for more information by email at ded@weyburn.ca or by phone at (306) 848-3290.

The deadline to apply for the City's control program is September 17, 2021.

"The pruning ban of April 1st to August 31st has now been lifted so you can prune an Elm Tree," told Block. "However, under provincial regulations, it's still prohibited to store and transport Elm Tree firewood. All of that wood must be properly disposed of."

Keeping elms healthy by pruning dead or dying branches helps prevent the spread of DED. Elm wood should then be promptly disposed of at the landfill.

The disease can be spotted in infected trees by the leaves turning brown and hanging. However, the best way to know for sure if your trees are infected is through a laboratory analysis. Anyone interested in having one done can contact the Parks Department at (306) 848-3290.

To learn more about Dutch Elm Disease and what the City has been doing to maintain the problem feel free to read our recent news story HERE.