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Elm trees along the 1600-block of Victoria Avenue have been showing signs of Dutch elm disease. (BRUCE BUMSTEAD/BRANDON SUN)
City crews are battling Dutch elm disease by marking affected trees with orange bands and spraying other trees to protect healthy trees from the beetles that kill them.
"The city will come in to remove banded trees as part of our Dutch elm disease management program," said Perry Roque, the city’s community services director. "The city will also start spraying in the next week for Dutch elm disease. It’s part of our disease management plan to protect that asset in the city."
Roque said the trees that are cut down will be replaced as close to the fallen tree’s original location as is practical. Where stumps can be dug up, they will be, and trees can be replanted there. Otherwise, the new tree may be within metres of the one it replaces.
"We have taken down some of the trees in the downtown area and some trees in different locations on 18th Street have been taken down and they will be replaced," Roque said. "Approximately 300 trees will be replanted this fall."
The city has also gone to work replacing 200 trees and shrubs in on the Arbour Trail, that were lost during the 2011 flood. Volunteers assisted with the efforts on Thursday to replace that lost foliage. There were also 125 trees planted along a walkway near the Brandon Cemetery this year.
» Brandon Sun
Battling Elm bark beetles
Stands of American elm trees in Brandon will be treated with insecticide next month, as the city works to control elm bark beetles, which carry Dutch elm disease.
The trees, on public property, will be treated with Pyrate 480, also known as chlorpyrifos. Weather permitting, the application will take place between Oct. 112.
Set for insecticiding are trees on:
• Victoria Avenue from First Street to 26th Street
• Rosser Avenue to Victoria Avenue from 18th Street to 34th Street
• Victoria Avenue to Park Avenue from 19th Street to 26th Street
• Kirkcaldy Drive to Braecrest Drive from First Street to 18th Street
• First Street to Knowlton Drive
Also, as a preventative measure the city treats areas with large stands of American elms on a two-year rotation basis.
» Brandon Sun
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition September 26, 2012
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