Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Forest Health Program are suggesting that if you are planning on pruning the oak trees in your yard, now is the time to start. Program leader, Tivon Feeley, says current weather patterns have reduced the chance of trees contracting oak wilt because temperatures are near freezing almost every day. Oak wilt has been present in Iowa for decades and is usually caused by a fungus infecting the tree through sap beetles. The disease can also spread to trees near an infected specimen through grafted roots beneath the ground. Symptoms to look for in a diseased tree usually included discolored leaves starting near the crown of the canopy. Trees often die the same season they contract oak wilt, but some species can take several years to succumb to the disease. For more information on oak wilt prevention and how to control its spread, follow the link included with this story on our website.
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