LANSING, MI (AP)-- Officials are urging Michigan residents to take steps to prevent the spread of oak wilt.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says people should avoid pruning red oak trees from this week until after July 15.
Oak wilt hasn't been detected in every Michigan county. But Roger Mech, forest health monitoring program manager for the DNR's Forest Resources Division, says vigilance is needed across the state to prevent it from spreading further.
Oak wilt is a fungal disease that kills red oak trees. It's transported by beetles.
The DNR recommends that anyone who suspects they have oak wilt-tainted firewood should cover it with a plastic tarp all the way to the ground, leaving no openings. That will help destroy the fungus.