The City of Saskatoon says cases of Dutch elm disease (DED) reached a record high in Saskatoon last season.

City officials say this puts the city’s elm canopy at risk and one of the simplest ways to slow down Dutch elm disease is to abide by the pruning ban. It goes into effect April 1st and lasts until August 31st.

According to a news release from the City, one in every four trees in Saskatoon is an elm and threatened by DED

It is illegal to store, transport or use elm wood for any purpose. The only permitted movement of elm wood is to the City Landfill, where it can be disposed of at no cost.

Symptoms of DED may start appearing in June in the form of yellowing leaves, wilting leaves, leaves that curl and brown.

DED spreads mainly through elm bark beetles, which can fly more than two kilometres in search of elm trees. The fungal spores stick to the beetle’s bodies and infect trees as they feed. The fungus can also be spread through root grafts and unsanitized pruning tools.

If you need to prune elm trees during the provincial ban, you need a permit. You can call the City of Saskatoon Customer Care at 306-975-2476 for more information.