You now have just under a week to get your pruning finished on your elm trees.

"The annual pruning ban goes from April 1st to August 31st," said Insect and Disease Program Specialist Jeffery Goliath. "The reason it's put in place is it's the same time we have the peak season for elm bark beetles, which are one of the main spreaders of dutch elm disease."

Goliath added outside of the ban from September 1st to March 31st, it's important to prune and remove dead or dying wood to control the beetle population and prevent beetle breeding.

If you must do any last minute pruning, it's very important to properly dispose of the leftover elm bark using the method and locations chosen by each municipality.

For more information on how to dispose properly of your elm wood you can call the DED information at 1-800-SASK-ELM.