Step away from the chainsaw. It’s the wrong time of year to cut oak trees. Oak wilt is a serious disease that can devastate red oak and white oak trees and pruning oak trees can spread the disease.
James Wieferich, forest health specialist in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Resources Division, warns, “The guidelines against pruning oak trees during this time are designed to help prevent the spread of this tree-killing disease to new areas. Once oak wilt gets started, it is expensive to successfully manage and will kill all nearby red oaks over time, if untreated.”
April 15th to July 15th is the highest risk period for the spread of oak wilt. The fungal disease can be spread quickly by beetles carrying spores of the fungus from tree to tree, using the wounds from pruning or storm damage.
Oak wilt presents as wilting from the top down and losing leaves. It spreads quickly and can take out a whole crop of oaks in a short amount of time.
If you suspect oak wilt on your property, you should contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
