It's the perfect time to prune those elm trees.

With the pruning ban lifted until March 31 and the warmer weather approaching, right now is the time to do it.

Gordon White, urban forester for the Town of Okotoks says Dutch elm disease has wiped out a ton of elms across the continent but it has not yet breached Alberta.

"Right now it's in Saskatchewan and Manitoba but Alberta has the largest stand of elms in North America that aren't effected by Dutch elm disease. So we are trying to prevent the disease from getting into the province with specific management practices."

White says maintaining a healthy tree by giving it adequate water, mulch and nutrients prevents Dutch elm disease but there are more ways then just one.

"Another prevent is pruning out deadwood. The disease is spread by the elm bark beetles, they are attracted to deadwood, so if we prune the deadwood out of the trees then the tree is less attracted to the tree as a home or food source."

On top of pruning outside of the pruning ban of April 1 to September 31, people should take the appropriate steps to dispose of the deadwood after pruning.

"They should dispose the wood at a landfill or burn the wood immediately, the most practical thing would be to take it to the landfill right away. But we do not want to store the wood because elm wood that is just sitting there stored could attract the beetles as well."

Albertans should also know that with camping season around the corner camp fire wood should not be transported but rather bought in the area that you are camping in as bark beetles could find their way over on that route as well.

White adds that it is an expensive practice to keep Alberta's elm tree population free of the disease but it would be even more expensive to try to get rid of the disease if it were to ever enter the province.