How can a person know if there elm tree has Dutch Elm disease?
The only way to be absolutely sure is to have a sample tested at a diagnostic lab. To check for yourself, prune off a branch with yellow leaves and remove the bark. If the branch is diseased you’ll see brown streaks running lengthwise in the sap wood. What can be done to prevent the spread of disease? Sanitation is the best method of controlling Dutch Elm disease. Diseased trees should be detected, removed and the wood destroyed or debarked. Dead and dying elm branches or trees, whether diseased or not, should be removed. They are breeding sites for the bark beetles. Are any chemicals available for controlling Dutch Elm disease? Yes, but they are expensive and must be repeated every 3 years. Will all the elm trees eventually die from Dutch Elm disease? That’s a very difficult question to answer. A cure could be found and better methods of prevention may be developed. For the time being our best bet is good tree care and sanitation. In the spring is it necessary to get rid of the elm wo
