Residents have a little less than three days to get their elm trees pruned because once Saturday hits, the province-wide ban comes into effect.
The ban, which runs from April 1st to September 30th, is put in place ot prevent the spread of Dutch Elm Disease. The pruning of elm trees during the summer could provide entry sites for Elm Bark Beetles, which are the carriers for the Dutch Elm Disease fungus, meaning a healthy tree could be infected.
Any type of pruning of either dead, damaged, or diseased elm trees should be removed and properly disposed of before April 1st.
Information on how to properly dispose of elms within the city is found on the Yard Waste Recycling page on the city’s website.
Residents are also encouraged to watch for any symptoms of Dutch Elm Disease on trees on their property or in neighbourhoods. The leaves on infected trees will wilt, curl up and turn brown from mid-June through to July. Any leaves on trees infected later in the season will turn yellow and drop prematurely.
Any elm trees with symptoms showing should be reported to the City of Lethbridge by calling either 311 or contacting the Provincial Hotline at 1-877-837-ELMS (3567).