Dutch elm disease is not an issue in Estevan yet. 

"We've almost completed a city wide survey and there's a couple of trees that have been seen with symptoms but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're positive so I have sent some samples away to labs in Regina and they do the checking," explained Parks Manager Rod March. 

"With the drought and everything that we've had, trees are going to show the same symptoms as Dutch elm disease but it doesn't necessarily mean that they have the disease." 

There are multiple symptoms of Dutch elm disease. 

"The first symptom of Dutch elm disease is when we see the yellowing of the trees and it's just pretty much single branches that turn yellow and the leaves start to start to drop, so whats happening there is the beetle brings in a fungus and it blocks the trees ability to take up water," he stated. 

"The only combative action that you have is to water the heck out of your trees if you do see these symptoms." 

Rod March is currently keeping an eye out for the disease. 

"We do monitor, I have beetle stations set up that I do with the Ministry of Agriculture as well so we're monitoring the beetle population and I'm doing all the surveys of all the elm trees that we have in the city just to check," shared Rod. 

"We did have a positive incident last year of Dutch elm disease so of course I'm on top of it watching and looking at every tree again this year and I have sent away a couple of samples. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for results and then the procedure is we remove the infected tree immediately including the stump and burn and bury it."