DNR advises caution to prevent spread of oak wilt disease

April 15, Tax Day, is also the beginning of the yearly window when oak wilt can be transmitted from diseased to healthy red oak trees, the Department of Natural Resources announced today.

According to Dr. Robert Heyd, forest pest management program manager for the DNR’s Forest Resources Division, oak wilt is a serious disease of oak trees – mainly red oaks, including northern red oak, black oak and pin oak. Red oaks often die within a few weeks after becoming infected. White oaks are more resistant, therefore the disease progresses more slowly.

“The normal time-tested advice is to prevent oak wilt by not pruning or otherwise ‘injuring’ oaks from April 15 to July 15,” Heyd said. Read more