The City of Regina says there have been 14 confirmed cases of Dutch elm disease so far this year.

Russell Eirich, the program manager of pest and horticulture for the city, said the disease can kill a tree in a matter of weeks.

"We have removed all of those elms," Eirich said. "We're still monitoring but at this time of year the samples really start to drop off."

Eirich said there is a provincial ban on pruning elm trees that started April 1 but will end on September 1.

"The pruning cuts will actually attract the elm bark beetle which is one of the carriers of dutch elm disease," Eirich said. "The beetles will focus in on [the tree] and then they get into that nice opened up fresh wood, they rub their backs onto the wood and that fungus gets into the tree."

The city is advising residents to not bring elm wood into the city limits, as doing so may aggravate the problem of Dutch elm disease.

"As [residents] start to close up their cottages and come back from the campgrounds at the end of the labour day weekend," Eirich said. "[Do] not bring elm wood into town for firewood."