The City of Windsor is warning about a possible threat to local oak trees found on our doorstep.
City Forester Paul Giroux said a fungus called Oak Wilt has been found on Belle Isle. Oak Wilt has never been found in Canada but has been running rampant through Michigan since the 1940s.
The fungus grows under the bark and cuts off water, nutrients and minerals that can kill a healthy oak tree in two to three weeks.
Giroux said there are steps people can take to protect the area’s stock of majestic oaks, such as not pruning them from April to August because tiny picnic beetles can smell the sweet scent coming from the cut and invade the trees.
"We don't want them to fly over to Windsor and visit the oak trees we just trimmed because when you trim a tree it emits a sweet scent and those beetles hone in on that scent within 20 minutes," said Giroux.
Giroux said pruning cuts must be covered if people can't avoid trimming their oaks.
"If you must trim that oak tree for whatever reason, let's say you're doing an addition on your house, you must cover that pruning wound with a paint," he added.
Giroux said Michigan has taken some precautions on Belle Isle but a risk still lingers for the Windsor area.
"The state did remove about 150 large oaks but we have to assume that there might still be some oak trees on Belle Isle that are still infected and it's possible that those beetles could fly over to Windsor on a strong north wind," Giroux said.
The city is also asking people not to move firewood and to report any signs of sick looking oak trees to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
