Mike Muminovic, certified arborist and owner of A Cut Above Tree Service, beside a healthy elm tree in Crestwood.--NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat has an abundance of elm trees but not a high evidence of Dutch Elm disease. A provincial pruning ban between April 1 and Sept. 30 on all elms, which helps to curb the spread.
Mike Muminovic, a certified arborist and owner of A Cut Above Tree Service, explained, “Beetles spread from tree to tree and prey on weaker trees. They are attracted to the sap, and what the disease does is prevent the tree from getting water. That’s what causes the browning and dying of the tree. Once your tree has Dutch Elm disease you have to get rid of it (the tree).”
Preventative maintenance is the only way to avoid Dutch Elm disease. Once the tree has the beetle – there are three types that can cause the disease – spraying or other measures won’t get rid of it. Usually, one branch on the tree will start to die and that’s how one can tell if a tree is infected.
An entire tree can be removed during any month of the year but the stump must be ground down as well. When it’s taken to the landfill, they must be told it’s an elm so it can be either buried or burned.
“Medicine Hat does a pretty good job and don’t trim their trees until after Oct. 1,” said Muminovic. “I think they should go by temperature and not date though.”
Given the warm October temperatures we are currently experiencing, beetles would still be alive in any infected trees. However, Muminovic recognizes dates are easier for everyone to follow and the Oct. 1 to March 30 pruning window is currently the best option available.
For more information about Dutch Elm disease, to go http://www.alberta.ca/dutch-elm-disease.
