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r• <br /> • .- <br /> -2- <br /> OAK WILT DISEASE INSPECl'ION AND REMOVAL • <br /> Diseased red oaks are identified and removed throughout the <br /> growing season much in the same manner as elms . There are , <br /> however , many differences between the two processes : <br /> 1 . Most oak wilt symptoms show up later in the summer . <br /> 2 . The removal deadline for all diseased red oaks marked during <br /> a given growing season is November. 1 of that year . The <br /> reason ( or t.his seemingly long duration is that such diseased <br /> oaks don ' t become a danger in spreading oak wilt until spring <br /> of the following year and then only if the wood has retained <br /> sufficient moisture content. Diseased white and bur oaks are <br /> not controlled because they cannot spread oak wilt overland . <br /> 3 . Many owners of diseased oaks choose to keep their trees for <br /> firewood . This can be safely done provided the wood is split <br /> and dried by springtime and/or completely covered and sealed <br /> with thick plastic until summer of the following year . <br /> 4 . The November 1 deadline was chosen to give people ample time <br /> to complete required work and to give the contractor time to <br /> work on any removals requests or required by property owners . <br /> Annual residental oak wilt cases are relatively few ( less than 1% • <br /> 01_ the total population ) compared to the number of oaks <br /> available . The overland spread of the disease has proven to be <br /> very controllable if a community adheres to the procedures <br /> aforementioned. Root graft transmission of the disease to nearby <br /> healthy oaks has been quite common , especially in the sandy soils <br /> of Mounds View. Such spread is difficult to prevent (even with <br /> available trenching techniques) and accounts for a least 90% of <br /> all local cases of oak wilt . <br /> RW/sl <br />