Hello,

An oak tree infected with oak wilt can produce spores up until a year after death. The recommendation about removing oak wilt infected trees is to chip, burn, debark or bury the wood prior to April 1 the year after it dies. Therefore, if it died last summer, it should not be removed until the winter of 2021-2022.

Isolate it by severing its roots from adjacent oaks before removing the infected tree. Severing is accomplished by digging 5 foot vertical trench lines at the root area. If you decide to split the wood into fire wood, stack and cover and seal to the ground with 4-mil plastic sheeting for one year to prevent insect access and until the wood dries. Read more here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/smart-gardening-to-prevent-oak-wilt

There are arborists certified as Oak Wilt Specialists who you can consult and will help you manage the removal of the tree. See the attached list from the Michigan Oak Wilt Organization. https://www.michiganoakwilt.org/oak-wilt-qualified-vendor-directory

Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.