Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter

City Increases Efforts to Fight Elm Scale Infestation

Jun 13, 2016 | 5:47 PM

LETHBRIDGE – City Council approved more funding and resources to ramp up its fight against European Elm Scale.

The disease comes from an insect that feeds on the trees, and produces a sticky secretion that covers the leaves and bark in black mold. It can eventually kill weakened trees and cause branch dieback in healthy trees.

There are roughly 5,500 elm trees on City property, some of which are too small to treat or haven’t been affected. A combination of warmer winters,  hotter than usual summers and a lack of treatment product has lead to the infestation.

City Staff will now inject between 1,000 to 1,200 infected trees with the TreeAzin treatment. A private contractor will also be brought in to take on 2,400 more, bringing the total to 3,600.

This aggressive approach comes with a new estimated cost of $380,000. The money will come from the contingency fund and the Environment Committee.

“Treatment of European Elm Scale is very time sensitive. We really have a window of June and July, and once we get past that date, you can’t actually engage in the treatment… We have to actually attack it now,” noted Councillor Jeff Coffman. 

He added that for this to be most effective, residents should get affected elms on their private property treated, as well. Residents can contact a qualified arborist to administer the pesticide, and send an e-mail to trees@lethbridge.ca, or call 403-320-3850, to take care of trees along City green boulevards.

Injection for public trees is set to start immediately, and continue over the next six weeks.