Sask. elm tree pruning ban starts Friday

The Prince Albert Kinsmen Park walking trail is lined with elm trees. (Courtesy Tim Yeaman)

The deadline to prune your elm trees in Saskatchewan is coming up.

The pruning of elm trees is banned between April 1 and Aug. 31.

The ban ensures that elm bark beetles, the bugs that transmit Dutch Elm disease, can’t sniff out freshly pruned tree flesh.

The disease is caused by a fungus that clogs the water-conducting system of the tree.

The fungus is transported from tree to tree by spores that cling to the elm bark beetle.

Signs of Dutch Elm disease typically show up in July when branches become yellow, curl up and die.

City of Prince Albert parks and open spaces manager Tim Yeaman says the disease is making its way closer to the city.

"The last case of Dutch Elm disease was within an hour of Prince Albert, so it's not a case of 'if' anymore, it's a case of 'when',” said Yeaman.

“We need to be prepared for that, and we want the residents of Prince Albert to understand the value of the trees that we currently have here.”

Yeaman says it’s important to have residents keeping an eye on trees in their area.

“We understand that it can be difficult to identify a tree, so if homeowners have a question, we certainly want to assist. If they think they have an elm tree or think they have an issue with that tree, they’re more than welcome to call City Hall and we’ll have one of our forestry staff come out.”

If a problem is spotted, the entire tree needs to be removed and disposed of properly.

The city landfill north of Prince Albert is an approved site for stump and branch disposal.