On the lookout for Oak Wilt

Oak Wilt is a vascular disease of oak trees caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum. In June 2023, Oak Wilt was confirmed in Niagara Falls, Ontario, making it the first known case of oak wilt in Canada.

What are we doing:

City of Welland forestry staff are monitoring oak trees throughout the city to identify early signs of decline and early detection of the fungus. We have many large oaks throughout the city and anticipate some will be affected in the coming years. To help prevent a possible Oak Wilt infection, staff will not be pruning oak trees between April and October as per government guidelines unless exceptional circumstances, such as potential safety hazards, occur. In these cases, the City will apply a protective coating to the tree's wounds to prevent attracting beetles that spread Oak Wilt.

Some oak species are more vulnerable than others and can die within a year of infection. However, red oaks can die within 2-6 weeks following infection in some severe cases.

Signs of Oak Wilt:

• Rapid wilting and browning of the leaves in late spring.
• Vertical cracks in the trunk and large branches
• White, grey, or black fungal mats, sometimes known as pressure pods, just under the bark surface that emits a fruitlike smell.
• Wilting and bronzing of oak leaves, premature and sudden leaf drop

What to do if you spot Oak Wilt:

• Don't move firewood, as it may contain live fungal spores.
• Don't prune oak trees between April and October, as this is the most vulnerable time for overland spore spread.

If residents believe they have identified a tree with oak wilt, they are encouraged to report it to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CIFA) with as much information as they can, including the location of the tree and photos of the symptoms.