How to Treat

PSHB Shot Hole Borer Treatment
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MY TREES?

The bad news? Almost every garden could be attacked by the borer.

The good news? Not every tree will provide an ideal ecosystem for the beetle to thrive and breed.

The facts you need to keep in mind?

One heavily infested tree can contain over 100 000 beetles, and the females can fly up to 1km. Yet, most beetles only fly to the surrounding trees.

To stem the crisis, a heavily infested tree needs to be urgently treated or removed, as infestation easily spreads.

STEP 1:

Boost the health of all your trees.

  • Build up mulch around the base of your tree
  • Provide additional water if your trees are suffering from a drought
  • Add bio-stimulants (preferably natural products and composts) to the soil around the tree
  • Speak to a local nursery to find out which micro-biomes and Trichoderma you can introduce to the soil around your tree.

STEP 2:

Apply reactive treatment to attacked trees

  • Repeated treatment should be applied every 6-12 months. Some treatments/chemicals can be harmful to trees and the environment, and if these are applied too often, it may damage or kill the tree
  • Insects develop tolerance and resistance to chemicals, so a structured program for rotating treatments need to be conducted over time

USE THE TREE SURVEY RECORD SHEET

STEP 3:

Notify your neighbors and create awareness

  • Ensure you know which trees are infested – knowledge of the location enables yourself and others to take preventative action to safeguard trees.
  • Make use of social media to ensure local authorities, friends, family, neighbours and colleagues are aware of the problem
  • Contact your residents association and inquire if they’re aware of the problem
  • Report the PSHB infestation using the Tree Survey app.
HOW TO COMBAT THE INFESTATION

Currently, there are no chemical products registered for treatment against PSHB in South Africa. But it’s a work in progress.

The Department of Environmental Affairs is in the process of declaring the PSHB an invasive pest.

The Registrar within the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has called for the submission of emergency registration of chemical treatments under Act 36.

Common sense needs to be combined with practical experience. Your local nursery can advise you on products that can boost your tree’s health.

SHOT HOLE BORER “WHAT TO DO” GUIDE

Practical information on what to do about the Polyphageous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) beetle.

PSHB SHOT HOLE BORER “WHAT TO DO” GUIDE

The Tree Survey mobile app allows you to report infestations. Each reported incident receives in-app feedback. You can just report the bug, or you can select a further action from either a City Parks official or a private service provider.

WHO CAN HELP YOU

We can recommend service providers in different areas, and currently we have the following areas covered:

  • Johannesburg
  • Centurion
  • Pretoria
  • George
  • Knysna
  • Cape Town

Alternatively, you can log your tree using the Tree Survey app, and request “help with a private tree”.

WHO IS DOING SOMETHING ALREADY

The PSHB has previously been discovered in California and Israel, and the infestation and repercussions have been well documented.

City of Cape Town – PSHB Management Protocol
City of Cape Town – PSHB Management Protocol
More
Share
Residents tagging infested public trees – Parkhurst, Johannesburg
Residents tagging infested public trees – Parkhurst, Johannesburg
More
Share
PSHB.co.za