The City of Wanneroo is working with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) to help stop the spread of the invasive pest Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB).
What is a PSHB?
Polyphagous shot-hole borer or PSHB (Euwallacea fornicatus) is a beetle native to Southeast Asia. About the size of a sesame seed, PSHB excavates tunnels in trees where they cultivate fungus as a food source.
This fungus spreads in the tunnels of trees disrupting the flow of water and nutrients.
Trees damaged by PSHB can become a constant source of beetles that can disperse and impact neighbouring trees.
Quarantine Area
Some suburbs within the City are included in DPIRD’s Quarantine Area.
It is important that people living or working within the Quarantine Area are aware of the restrictions on the movement of wood and plant material from their properties as they could act as hosts and potentially spread the borer.
PSHB does not affect grass so lawn clippings can be disposed of as normal.
How to spot infected trees?
- Beetle entry hole: – the entrance holes of PSHB are approximately the size of a ballpoint pen tip.
- Discoloration/staining of wood: the fungus cultivated by the beetle can cause dark discolouration on a tree.
- Gumming: thick sap sometimes pushes the beetle out of the gallery.
- Sugar volcanoes: crystalline foam may be exuded from entry/exit holes.
- Frass: produced by the beetle’s tunnelling, frass may present extruding from trees.
- Dieback: in susceptible trees, the fungus kills tree vascular tissue causing branch dieback and tree death.
- Top hosts of PSHB include Maple (Acer), Plane (Platanus), Robinia (Robinia), Poplars (Populus), Oak (Quercus), Avocado (Persea), Fig (Ficus) and Coral Tree (Erythrina).
More information
Find out more about PSHB on:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Contact
If you see borer damage (or unusual pests), report it to via the MyPestGuide® Reporter app or the Pest and Disease Information Service on 9368 3080 or email padis@dpird.wa.gov.au.