By Shaun Penner

Fireblight Outbreak

Fireblight continues to strike down City trees

Aug 27, 2019 | 11:05 AM

The outbreak of fireblight disease continues to run roughshod on the trees of Grande Prairie.

This disease is one that was declared in a state of outbreak back at the end of July, which mostly affects fruit trees like apple, crabapple, hawthorn and mountain ash. The disease typically lies dormant in the tree, waiting for wet weather that is followed by warm temperatures to help spread it around. It can spread throughout a single tree and kill it within a single season.

“Part of the reason they call it fireblight is because it spreads like wildfire,” said Integrated Pest Management Coordinator with the City, Amy Needham. “I can’t believe how fast this infection is progressing.”

The outbreak of the disease can be attributed to the plethora of rain we have seen in the area this summer. Follow those rain showers with a bit of warm weather, and the disease finds itself in the perfect conditions to strike.

“Basically, what is happening in infected trees, they’re oozing out bacteria and every time it rains it splashes those bacteria all within the tree and that’s why it is spreading so fast,” said Needham. “We just cannot catch a break with the weather.”

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Needham says crews have finished inspecting trees on public lands, which saw about a 15-20% infection rate. She says infection rates in trees on private land are much higher than that.

With that, Needham and her team are turning their attention to helping residents combat the disease on their own property. The disease is legislated under the Agricultural Pests Act of Alberta, so crews may be in neighbourhood yards to prune and disinfect private trees.

“Myself and the two technicians are the official appointed inspectors from the municipality for that act,” said Needham. “Basically, what we are going to be doing is similar to weed inspectors: we go and take a look in each yard and if you have an infected tree, then we’re going to help you control the disease, before it takes the life of the tree.”

“We definitely don’t need more dying trees in this town, that is for sure.”

The City says inspectors can mostly diagnose trees by looking at them from streets or alleyways but will try to contact homeowners if a closer inspection is required. Inspectors do have the ability to enter private property at any reasonable hour to inspect trees.

Some ways residents can treat a diseased tree in their yard are:

• Prune out any blighted branches a minimum of 12 inches below the infection.
• Sterilize your pruning tools in between cuts with gas line antifreeze, a 10% bleach solution or 70% rubbing alcohol.
• Take pruned branches to the landfill or disposed of in your municipal garbage bin, essentially keeping them away from other trees.

More information on the disease can be found on the City’s website.