Do you clean your saw between trees?

[Carburetorless]

I was up in a Sycamore today removing dieback.

At some point I started thinking "What causes these Sycamores to loose branches like this"? Some of them are just completely dead, some of them are dead on one side, while the other side is alive.

So I'm thinking maybe Sycamores have some sort of virus that causes their limbs to die out, then it hits me, if I cut off this dead limb that was killed by a virus, then I move on to another live limb or another tree with the same saw will I be passing the virus on to the next limb or tree?

Maybe Sycamores don't have a virus that kills their branches, still yet I'm wondering if it's possible to infect another tree by using a dirty saw on it that was used on a tree that has a virus or disease?

If so; What's the best way to clean the saw?

 

[ddhlakebound]

Yes, many tree diseases can be transmitted through contamination of pruning tools.

An alcohol solution or a 10% bleach solution will sanitize your tools, as long as you dip or thoroughly spray them.

When pruning out infected tissue which has pathogens that can be transmitted to uninfected areas through pruning wounds, pruning tools should be sanitized between every cut.

Fire blight (bacteria), and Dutch Elm (fungi) are two examples of diseases easily transmitted this way.

 

[Carburetorless]

Yes, many tree diseases can be transmitted through contamination of pruning tools.

An alcohol solution or a 10% bleach solution will sanitize your tools, as long as you dip or thoroughly spray them.

When pruning out infected tissue which has pathogens that can be transmitted to uninfected areas through pruning wounds, pruning tools should be sanitized between every cut.

Fire blight (bacteria), and Dutch Elm (fungi) are two examples of diseases easily transmitted this way.

Thanks for the info.

These limbs were very solid for dead limbs, matter of fact, after having cut a few of them with my pruning saw I would have had no issues with using them as a TIP. I'm thinking if they were killed by a virus they wouldn't be that healthy.

Will a limb affected by bacteria or fungi show evidence(other than being dead), such as decay or pitting that a naturally declining branch wouldn't have?