Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borer
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is asking all Perth residents to keep an eye out for the polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB).
The polyphagous shot-hole borer is a wood-boring exotic beetle that excavates tunnels in both stressed and healthy trees. The beetles cultivate fungus in the tunnels as a food source. Infested trees can become unsafe and die within two years. Boxelder maple trees, robinias, coral trees, Moreton Bay and Port Jackson figs, and London plane trees are particularly susceptible.
Please see the video below and view the image gallery to help identify polyphagous shot-hole borer.
Image gallery
Click on an image to expand.
Quarantine area
As of 6 September, the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development has extended the PSHB quarantine to the entire Perth Metropolitan area.
The quarantine now includes two zones:
- Zone A: High infestation area with strict controls, including restrictions on moving untreated wood and plant materials. The Town of Bassendean is in Zone A. Residents must not move untreated or unseasoned wood unless chipped to pieces 2.5 cm or less, ot move plant materials over 2 cm in diameter, and clean machinery before moving it outside Zone A. These restrictions do not apply to lawn clippings. Restrictions on moving plant material do not apply to the Town’s kerbside FOGO collection and skip bin green waste services, as waste is securely transported in skip bins, trailers, or trucks.
- Zone B is a lower infestation area with enhanced surveillance to prevent spread.
For more information on the requirements please visit agric.wa.gov.au/borer.
Report
If you think you've found borer damage, report it to DPIRD at 08 9368 3080, [email protected], or through the MyPestGuide app.
Learn more
For the latest information and news on the polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB), visit the DPIRD website.
Images and video supplied by the DPIRD.