Post Messenger Recorder -

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds Wisconsin residents that now is the time to prune oak trees, as the risk of harmful pests spreading tree diseases, such as oak wilt, increases in the spring. Oak wilt is Wisconsin’s most destructive oak disease, killing thousands of healthy trees annually. It’s common in the lower two-thirds of the state and spreads farther north each year.

Winter is the ideal time to prune trees since branch damage or weak branch structure is more visible, and pests that cause harmful tree diseases are inactive in cold temperatures. Oak wil...