Dreaded shot hole borer beetle arrives in Nelson Mandela Bay

An alien beetle that destroys trees has been detected in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase said metro employees discovered the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle recently after a call from a concerned resident in Lorraine regarding a dying tree in front of his house.

“Upon investigation, the officials confirmed that indeed a borer beetle was the cause of the decay and death of the tree.

“We have been on the lookout for it again since then.”

Originally from Southeast Asia, the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) is so named because of the spray of holes (like from the blast of a shotgun) that it leaves in the trunk of infected trees.

In SA, it first showed up in the KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Gardens in Pietermaritzburg in 2017, where it had infected century-old plane trees.

Since its discovery in Pietermaritzburg it has spread across all SA’s provinces except Mpumalanga, infecting indigenous and alien trees.

Until now, it had not made an appearance in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Bay public health mayoral committee member Thsonono Buyeye said the beetle bored into its host tree, where it started its life cycle.

It multiplied rapidly and eventually killed the tree.

“The danger is that the trees die and are more vulnerable to strong winds as they are rotten.

“We want to warn our people to be on the lookout. We don’t want the rotten trees to fall on people or property.”

The polyphagous shot hole borer beetle is black or brown and about 1mm long, with greyish hairs.

As it bores into the tree, wood dust closes the holes, making it look like there is fungus on the trunk.

The beetle has been spotted in various tree species including acacia and one of the telltale signs of a diseased tree is the leaves getting increasingly dry. 

Residents can report any suspected infestation of the beetle to the municipality on (041) 506-1729/11 or via pgibbsrec@mandelametro.gov.za

HeraldLIVE