02/05/2026
Oak wilt, an invasive fungus that kills oak trees, has been detected in several new locations in Ontario and Yates Counties. DEC is expanding the existing oak wilt quarantine districts in this area to include the towns of Middlesex, Italy, and South Bristol, and parts of the towns of Bristol and Naples. Oak wilt quarantine districts are restricted areas that prohibit the movement of potentially infected wood to prevent the spread of oak wilt to new areas.
You can help prevent the spread of oak wilt by:
✅ Following local quarantine district restrictions, as well as the statewide Firewood Regulation;
✅ Only pruning oaks from October-February, when the beetles that spread oak wilt are less active; and
✅ Learning to recognize oak wilt symptoms and reporting them to DEC.
By limiting the movement of infected wood, pruning during fall and winter, and effectively managing infections, this harmful disease can be eliminated from infected areas. In early February 2026, the quarantine district surrounding New York’s first oak wilt infection in the Town of Glenville, Schenectady County, was lifted after seven years with no positive detections of oak wilt.
