110 diseased trees to be removed from west Pasco

The city of Pasco has decided to remove about 110 diseased trees after consulting with arborists from around the region.

The spring snow crabapple trees in west Pasco have been affected by fire blight, a disease caused by bacteria that is frequently destructive to some fruit trees and related plants, the city said in a news release. The disease can be spread by bees.

City crews pruned some of the trees last year after a smaller outbreak, but the disease spread to others during this spring’s wet weather.

Crews were advised they could prune or spray the trees, but that “does not make economic sense as control of fire blight is not assured using these methods,” the news release said.

“While we hate to remove trees, this is the only sure way to stop the spread of fire blight,” said Dan Dotta, interim administrative & community services director.

Three varieties of other trees that should be more resistant to disease will be selected to replace the removed trees.

More information on fire blight is available from Washington State University.

This story was originally published June 14, 2017 at 6:32 PM with the headline "110 diseased trees to be removed from west Pasco."