More than 100 trees in three Saskatoon areas need to be removed after city officials say an insect known as cottony ash psyllid was found in two species of trees.
The city has used green paint to mark the infected trees, which have so far been found downtown, along Broadway Avenue and along 22nd Street. Crews will begin removing the 105 trees — black and mancana ash trees — in early May.
“Cottony ash psyllids are most easily recognized by the damage they create, such as browning, yellowing and curling around leaflets, and the presence of white cotton within the leaflet,” said Michelle Chartier, with the city’s urban forestry and pest management department, in a media release.
Cottony ash psyllid is native to central Europe and only recently made appearances in North America.
The pest, which is yellow and green in colour, was first found in Saskatoon in 2006.
The trees to be removed because of the recent infestation will be replaced once they have been cut down, the stumps have been removed and the topsoil has been backfilled, the city says.
