Karen Tararache reports for WNYT-TV that all the rain this spring has caused verticillium wilt or tar spot, hurting some local tree populations. "It sucks the water right out of it and affects the cambium layer of the tree," Mike Constable of Constable Tree Service explained. "I've seen a rapid spread throughout Rensselaer county and we actually removed an elm tree that was affected by it." The fungus is of the rhytisma family and affects maple trees too. Since April, the National Weather Service reports that 64 of 122 days had some sort of rainfall locally. The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County says raking leaves near the root of trees helps prevent the fungus. The Department of Environmental Conservation also warned in a statement about other tree dangers. "DEC’s forest health team is currently conducting aerial surveys of forested areas throughout the state and have observed that the tent caterpillar is having a peak season in the northern part of the state (Tug Hill and Adirondack region) which can damage the health of the trees," the statement said. Read the full story at the WNYT-TV website.