Somerset West residents and businesses handling trees are urged to attend upcoming Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle (PSHB) information sessions as the area is among others affected by the devastating pest.
The City of Cape Town is hosting critical information sessions to educate residents and businesses on identifying infested trees and properly managing beetle-infested plant material. Somerset West residents are implored to attend the Gordon’s Bay session scheduled to take place on Thursday 11 December. The session will be held at the Gordon’s Bay Library, located at 6 Watt Street, from 16:00 to 18:00.
The PSHB beetle poses a serious threat to Cape Town’s urban forest and biodiversity, with Somerset West, a primary affected area, along with Strand, Penhill, Newlands, Constantia, Rondebosch, Observatory, Mowbray, Rosebank, Claremont, Kenilworth, Wynberg, Diep River, Pinelands, Durbanville, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Bellville and Parow North.
To date, PSHB has been confirmed in more than 6 000 trees, affecting species including Boxelders, London Planes, English Oaks, Beef Wood, Weeping Willow, Cape Chestnut, Black Locust, Paperbark and Maples.
Additional sessions are available for affected residents and business representatives. Sessions will be held at Bellville Library in Carl van Aswegen Street on Wednesday 26 November from 09:30 to 12:00; Alphen Centre in Main Road, Constantia on Tuesday 9 December from 09:30 to 12:00; and Kraaifontein Public Library in Brighton Road, Windsor Park, on Monday 15 December from 16:00 to 18:00.
Critical information attendees will learn:
• to identify infested trees and symptoms;
• proper handling and disposal of infested plant material;
• the safe transportation protocols for the green waste;
• equipment handling to prevent pest spread; and
• what to do and what not to do if you find an infested tree.
Warning signs to look out for:
• branch dieback – cracks, discolored leaves, dry branches;
• gumming – blobs of goo from bark, liquid oozing from beetle holes;
• entry and exit holes – sesame seed-sized holes (2 mm) in bark; and
• staining – brown or dark stains on bark.
“Improper handling and movement of PSHB-infested material continues to aid the spread across the city,” said Eddie Andrews, deputy mayor and Mayoral Committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment.
“We need support from residents and businesses working with plant material to prevent further spread.”
Residents can report PSHB sightings:
• online at www.capetown.gov.za/InvasiveSpecies;
• by phoning 021 444 2357 Monday to Friday from 07:30 until 16:00); and/or
• via email on invasive.species@capetown.gov.za.
