Tree maintenance also includes watering, fertilizing, insect control and preventative fungicide injections. Sanitation Sanitation is the removal of all identified diseased and hazard elm trees as soon as possible after detection. It also includes the removal or treatment of remaining stumps. To prevent the spread of D.E.D. to healthy trees, it is essential to remove diseased, dying and dead elms. These trees are ideal breeding material for the elm bark beetle.
Elm firewood is a perfect breeding site for the beetle.
It is also the perfect means of transporting D.E.D. from place to place. Detection and proper disposal of elmwood is especially important. As well as removing their breeding material, elm bark beetles can be controlled with insecticides. A registered insecticide containing the active ingredient chlorpyrifos is most effective in controlling overwintering beetles for up to 2 years. Research has shown that chlorpyrifos breaks down quickly in sunlight while retaining its chemical effectiveness deep in the fissures of the bark.