The invasive Borer Beetle is causing serious problems for our local trees so the City of Cape Town is hosting a talk to help residents identify trees that may be contaminated and how to deal with it.
Cape Town, South Africa (07 February 2023) – The invasive borer beetle is causing serious problems and many are now being spotted in trees on residential land. The City of Cape Town is inviting residents to join in an important meeting to learn about the beetle and how to act.
Residents are being encouraged to get involved in preventing this pest from spreading even further. Some trees in Newlands, Rondebosch, Mowbray and Claremont have been infested already, with the Liesbeek River being identified as a priority pathway.
Identified trees are cut down, chipped, and incinerated to avoid the spread of the pest any further. The Invasive Species Unit has been conducting assessments in the Newlands, Rondebosch, Mowbray and Claremont areas after a Boxelder tree infested with the invasive Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle (PSHB) was discovered on a private property in Newlands on 24 January 2023.
A PSHB beetle infestation was first discovered in Oldenland Road, Somerset West, in an ailing London plane in March 2019. To date, only trees in the Somerset West area have been affected and removed. The recent sightings in Newlands and its surroundings are very alarming. Hence why the city is taking such fast action in getting the community to help with identifying any other problem trees.
‘We are calling on residents, interest groups and experts to assist the City to prevent this pest from spreading even further. The beetle is threatening our urban forest. This is a very serious and alarming situation. I want to caution our communities not to be complacent, and to inspect all trees on private properties for symptoms of infestation.
‘It is very important to note that infested trees may not be removed from the property as the removal of the chipped wood will spread the pest to other areas.
‘At this online meeting, officials from our Invasive Species Unit will give important information. I urge residents to please attend this online meeting if possible, and to help us beat the beetle,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
The talk will be given by city officials and cover topics such as the symptoms of infested trees, how to report sightings to the City, and what action to take.
The city has already allocated resources to tackle the problem on city land.
You can find the details for the talk, which will take place online. Should you not be able to attend, we have additional information on what to do to help combat the borer beetle below.
To join the Talk
Details of the online meeting:
- It will be hosted on Microsoft Teams
- Date: Tuesday, 7 February 2023
- Time: 18:30 to 20:00
- RSVP: https://forms.gle/T7mUexES6Qi9sHnd9
- To join, click here: Click here to join the meeting
How to report PSHB beetle sightings
- Online, at www.capetown.gov.za/InvasiveSpecies
- Call the City of Cape Town’s Invasive Species Unit on 021 444 2357, Monday to Friday, from 07:30 to 16:00
- Send an email to: invasive.species@capetown.gov.za
“We will respond as soon as possible, pending the number of sightings that are reported.”
‘Experiences in California, Israel, and closer to home – in Gauteng, have shown that the PSHB beetle can easily spread across suburbs if extra precaution is not taken. Apart from infected wood, the 2mm big borer beetle can also spread through clothing, vehicle crevices, or unclean horticultural equipment,’ said Alderman Andrews.
The beetle’s most likely pathway or vector is through the movement of infested wood, originating from dead or dying PSHB-infested trees, including wood intended to be used for cooking or heating.
Together, Cape Town residents can protect their trees by staying vigilant and reporting any signs of the beetle immediately.
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