City of Kwinana urges residents to help protect trees against devastating polyphagous shot-hole borer

Kwinana residents are being urged to be vigilant against a tiny beetle that has devastating impacts. Infestations of the polyphagous shot-hole borer — a beetle that bores into a variety of tree trunks and branches, ultimately killing them — are approaching the City of Kwinana’s boundary, with the neighbouring City of Cockburn now like much of Perth declared a quarantine area. The city is calling on residents to keep an eye out for signs of the pest to protect vulnerable species, including Medina’s towering fig trees. The beetle, which is native to Southeast Asia, burrows into trees and infects them with a fungus that slowly kills them from the inside. Removing infected trees is the only way to control the spread. The borer has already caused many trees to be felled around Perth’s inner, western and southern suburbs — including the removal of about 20 infested trees in Kings Park. Hyde Park is expected to lose about 25 per cent of its canopy. Mayor Peter Feasey said Kwinana residents who had trees on their property such as maple, black locust, coral tree, plane tree, fig, poinciana, mulberry and willow needed to be especially vigilant. “While the beetles are hard to spot, please regularly inspect your trees for any signs of tunnelling or damage and consider contacting the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development using their website hotline or app,” he said. “Combating PSHB requires a community effort. By staying informed and taking proactive measures, we can protect our trees and maintain the health and beauty of our community’s green spaces.” Mr Feasey encouraged residents to maintain their trees to make them more resilient to infestations, disinfect pruning tools before and after use, and use grass clippings or compost as mulch instead of woodchips to reduce the risk of spreading the pest. People should also buy firewood locally and avoid transporting it to another area, and not move prunings or wood products from areas known to have infestations — with 25 Perth local government areas currently subject to quarantine orders. The borer has been confirmed in more than 80 suburbs across Perth since it was first detected in August 2021. The spread has triggered the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s biggest surveillance program to date, with more than a million trees inspected across nearly 60,000 properties. Residents can report suspected infestation using the MyPestGuide Reporter app or website, or calling 9368 3080.